Freedom is Nature!!
nature Is Freedom!!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
One Child Only Please!!
This Topics is what I have discuss & asking countries to re-think about their policy on birth control.
Please read the various comments by clicking the photos!!
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Testing Post
I am unable to post to
www.powerpolitics.net I am not getting help, now I am trying again!!
www.powerpolitics.net I am not getting help, now I am trying again!!
Friday, October 14, 2005
On The Future
I just reviewed the http://www.powerpolitics.org/ Oct 9 post on "Into The Future"
My comments Are In Bold:
1. Princeton ethicist Peter Singer authors the lead essay, contending that "during the next 35 years, the traditional view of the sanctity of human life will collapse under pressure from scientific, technological, and demographic developments." Singer is prominent in his field, and is acknowledged as one of the leading scholars in the area of animal rights. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3159&print=1
I done agreed with this, as my observation is that as people moving more into Technology & Sciences, they are more tendency to believe in the power of super-nature & also the philosophy of religions that more acceptable to their life. i.e. Stephen Hawkins is a firm believer of Christ & god. Whereas, Albert Einstein; he had said that the more he understand about Buddhism, the more he think that it is not a religion.....
2. The next essay is a prediction of the demise of political parties by former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. This was, for sure, one of the least persuasive essays. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3160&print=1
If you research into the human behavior, you would discover that that cannot be true. As the basic organization of groups are
Preacher's
Warrior's
Soldier's
Laborer’s
As long as the classification is there for the past; the present & into the future, my opinion is that the political parties shall exist!!
3. Christopher Hitchens follows that up with a piece on why there's a good chance that the Euro will collapse. As usual, the essay is well-written and literary; in this case, however, that hurts the strength of Hitchens' argument. The case that the Euro will collapse is certainly there; the EU has proven to be a tenuous and politically weak institution in that it's dominated by member-states and their parochial concerns. A divergence between the European economies that the EU is unable to bridge may very well lay the groundwork for a collapse, as the concept of the unified currency is predicated on the idea that Europe really is one economy.
http://foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3161&print=1
The answer can be yes & no.
Yes is Euro currency can be seen as a international currency after the US$!!
No is the currency have not actually well adopted my members' of the union that they are committed to use EU$ as their common national currencies.
4. After Hitchens comes Shintaro Ishihara, governor of Tokyo and a Japanese nationalist. He predicts that Japan will become a strong and interventionist Asian power. The general concept underlying this thinking--that the great power competition in Asia will compel Tokyo to adopt a security posture grounded in realism--has been discussed before on this blog, and I remain supportive of the theory. The movement toward a more traditional foreign policy, in fact, has already gained widespread acceptance among the elite, as expressed by the serious bipartisan effort to amend Japan's constitution and remove its mandate of pacifism.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3164&print=1
My observation is that, Japan would unlikely become a super-power in Asia. It is because the effect of Atomic bomb to end the 2nd world war still felt deep in the Heart of Japanese & the Asian in South East Asia. As well as the China is growing strong in economy, Chinese Government & people would also like to see a peaceful Japan then a military super-power Japan.
5. Minxin Pei follows with why he thinks the Chinese Communist Party will disappear, and I generally agree. China is definitely going to shift away from dictatorship and toward more democratic institutions. My one caveat would be that the Party may very well survive, but in name only; meaning that, for all intents and purposes, the old Party would be dead. Lord John Browne on why the cars of the future will hardly emit anything dangerous is decent enough, I suppose, but it seemed fairly bland compared to rest of the articles; surely he could've gone into a little more depth on this obviously important issue, as he has done in print before. Same with Professor Lawrence Lessig's argument that the public domain will disappear, which was unnecessarily alarmist and short-sighted. Among the rest of the predictions, there are only two I find of interest. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3174&print=1
In actual fact, in the Chinese history, the word of "Communist Party" never existed. For the 6,000 years of Chinese civilization, Chinese politics is model on the socialism of Chinese kind. By & large the political system is based on the "Family Politics System" which the Father of the Family have the final say, if want study the reason then Mao expel the Russian adviser's out of the China Communist International, then you would understand why I said.
6. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father, discusses the increasing importance of demography. In his view, "it will gradually dawn on governments that immigration alone cannot solve their demographic troubles and that much more active government involvement in encouraging or discouraging procreation may be necessary." Lee, now retired from government, is unusually perceptive and honest among former politicians, and his views always deserve consideration. In this case, I think he's right to point out the important position that demography will occupy in the future; I think he's also right to say that governments will take a more active role in trying to shape demography. Nevertheless, he puts too great of an emphasis on government authority. In Asia it's true that governments will naturally play a major role in regulating procreation; indeed, they do so already. Yet political culture in the Western world is different, and I suspect that Western governments will play less of a role in fertility decisions than Lee imagines.http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3183&print=1
I believe he is right for the present & near future on this issue. I also agreed that the Western government would pay less in the intervention of role in fertility & birth control. However, if you look at the nature & history of the evolution of the human kinds, you would envisage that Nature would take it coast of it own cause. A simple analogy is looking at the "Aids" in certain countries, these is the deadly decease that cause of self-destruction today!! Whereas, No one can explains why the Mayan race disappeared over night!!
Human race is continue to be into the phrase of integration into a single race, this is what we can see now or 10 births from now, it would through at least another 1,000 perhaps 2,000 generations.
My comments Are In Bold:
1. Princeton ethicist Peter Singer authors the lead essay, contending that "during the next 35 years, the traditional view of the sanctity of human life will collapse under pressure from scientific, technological, and demographic developments." Singer is prominent in his field, and is acknowledged as one of the leading scholars in the area of animal rights. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3159&print=1
I done agreed with this, as my observation is that as people moving more into Technology & Sciences, they are more tendency to believe in the power of super-nature & also the philosophy of religions that more acceptable to their life. i.e. Stephen Hawkins is a firm believer of Christ & god. Whereas, Albert Einstein; he had said that the more he understand about Buddhism, the more he think that it is not a religion.....
2. The next essay is a prediction of the demise of political parties by former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. This was, for sure, one of the least persuasive essays. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3160&print=1
If you research into the human behavior, you would discover that that cannot be true. As the basic organization of groups are
Preacher's
Warrior's
Soldier's
Laborer’s
As long as the classification is there for the past; the present & into the future, my opinion is that the political parties shall exist!!
3. Christopher Hitchens follows that up with a piece on why there's a good chance that the Euro will collapse. As usual, the essay is well-written and literary; in this case, however, that hurts the strength of Hitchens' argument. The case that the Euro will collapse is certainly there; the EU has proven to be a tenuous and politically weak institution in that it's dominated by member-states and their parochial concerns. A divergence between the European economies that the EU is unable to bridge may very well lay the groundwork for a collapse, as the concept of the unified currency is predicated on the idea that Europe really is one economy.
http://foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3161&print=1
The answer can be yes & no.
Yes is Euro currency can be seen as a international currency after the US$!!
No is the currency have not actually well adopted my members' of the union that they are committed to use EU$ as their common national currencies.
4. After Hitchens comes Shintaro Ishihara, governor of Tokyo and a Japanese nationalist. He predicts that Japan will become a strong and interventionist Asian power. The general concept underlying this thinking--that the great power competition in Asia will compel Tokyo to adopt a security posture grounded in realism--has been discussed before on this blog, and I remain supportive of the theory. The movement toward a more traditional foreign policy, in fact, has already gained widespread acceptance among the elite, as expressed by the serious bipartisan effort to amend Japan's constitution and remove its mandate of pacifism.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3164&print=1
My observation is that, Japan would unlikely become a super-power in Asia. It is because the effect of Atomic bomb to end the 2nd world war still felt deep in the Heart of Japanese & the Asian in South East Asia. As well as the China is growing strong in economy, Chinese Government & people would also like to see a peaceful Japan then a military super-power Japan.
5. Minxin Pei follows with why he thinks the Chinese Communist Party will disappear, and I generally agree. China is definitely going to shift away from dictatorship and toward more democratic institutions. My one caveat would be that the Party may very well survive, but in name only; meaning that, for all intents and purposes, the old Party would be dead. Lord John Browne on why the cars of the future will hardly emit anything dangerous is decent enough, I suppose, but it seemed fairly bland compared to rest of the articles; surely he could've gone into a little more depth on this obviously important issue, as he has done in print before. Same with Professor Lawrence Lessig's argument that the public domain will disappear, which was unnecessarily alarmist and short-sighted. Among the rest of the predictions, there are only two I find of interest. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3174&print=1
In actual fact, in the Chinese history, the word of "Communist Party" never existed. For the 6,000 years of Chinese civilization, Chinese politics is model on the socialism of Chinese kind. By & large the political system is based on the "Family Politics System" which the Father of the Family have the final say, if want study the reason then Mao expel the Russian adviser's out of the China Communist International, then you would understand why I said.
6. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father, discusses the increasing importance of demography. In his view, "it will gradually dawn on governments that immigration alone cannot solve their demographic troubles and that much more active government involvement in encouraging or discouraging procreation may be necessary." Lee, now retired from government, is unusually perceptive and honest among former politicians, and his views always deserve consideration. In this case, I think he's right to point out the important position that demography will occupy in the future; I think he's also right to say that governments will take a more active role in trying to shape demography. Nevertheless, he puts too great of an emphasis on government authority. In Asia it's true that governments will naturally play a major role in regulating procreation; indeed, they do so already. Yet political culture in the Western world is different, and I suspect that Western governments will play less of a role in fertility decisions than Lee imagines.http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3183&print=1
I believe he is right for the present & near future on this issue. I also agreed that the Western government would pay less in the intervention of role in fertility & birth control. However, if you look at the nature & history of the evolution of the human kinds, you would envisage that Nature would take it coast of it own cause. A simple analogy is looking at the "Aids" in certain countries, these is the deadly decease that cause of self-destruction today!! Whereas, No one can explains why the Mayan race disappeared over night!!
Human race is continue to be into the phrase of integration into a single race, this is what we can see now or 10 births from now, it would through at least another 1,000 perhaps 2,000 generations.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
On The Future
I just reviewed the http://www.powerpolitics.org/ Oct 9 post on "Into The Future"
My comments Are:
1. Princeton ethicist Peter Singer authors the lead essay, contending that "during the next 35 years, the traditional view of the sanctity of human life will collapse under pressure from scientific, technological, and demographic developments." Singer is prominent in his field, and is acknowledged as one of the leading scholars in the area of animal rights.
I done agreed with this, as my observation is that as people moving more into Technology & Sciences, they are more tendency to believe in the power of super-nature & also the philosophy of religions that more acceptable to their life. i.e. Stephen Hawkins is a firm believer of Christ & god. Whereas, Albert Eintein; he had said that the more he understand about Buddhism, the more he think that it is not a religion.....
2. The next essay is a prediction of the demise of political parties by former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. This was, for sure, one of the least persuasive essays.
If you research into the human behavior, you would discover that that cannot be true. As the basic organization of groups are
Preacher's
Warrior's
Soldier's
Labourer's
As long as the classification is there for the past; the present & into the future, my opinion is that the political parties shall exist!!
3. Christopher Hitchens follows that up with a piece on why there's a good chance that the Euro will collapse. As usual, the essay is well-written and literary; in this case, however, that hurts the strength of Hitchens' argument. The case that the Euro will collapse is certainly there; the EU has proven to be a tenuous and politically weak institution in that it's dominated by member-states and their parochial concerns. A divergence between the European economies that the EU is unable to bridge may very well lay the groundwork for a collapse, as the concept of the unified currency is predicated on the idea that Europe really is one economy.
The answer can be yes & no.
Yes is Euro currency can be seen as a international currency after the US$!!
No is the currency have not actually well adopted my members' of the union that they are committed to use EU$ as their common national currencies.
4. After Hitchens comes Shintaro Ishihara, governor of Tokyo and a Japanese nationalist. He predicts that Japan will become a strong and interventionist Asian power. The general concept underlying this thinking--that the great power competition in Asia will compel Tokyo to adopt a security posture grounded in realism--has been discussed before on this blog, and I remain supportive of the theory. The movement toward a more traditional foreign policy, in fact, has already gained widespread acceptance among the elite, as expressed by the serious bipartisan effort to amend Japan's constitution and remove its mandate of pacifism.
In my observation, Japan would unlikely become a super-power in Asia. It is because the effect of Atomic bomb to end the 2nd world war still felt deep in the Hheart of Japanese & the Asian in South East Asia. As well as the China is growing strong in economy, Chinese Government & people would also like to see a peaceful Japan then a military super-power Japan.
5. Minxin Pei follows with why he thinks the Chinese Communist Party will disappear, and I generally agree. China is definitely going to shift away from dictatorship and toward more democratic institutions. My one caveat would be that the Party may very well survive, but in name only; meaning that, for all intents and purposes, the old Party would be dead. Lord John Browne on why the cars of the future will hardly emit anything dangerous is decent enough, I suppose, but it seemed fairly bland compared to rest of the articles; surely he could've gone into a little more depth on this obviously important issue, as he has done in print before. Same with Professor Lawrence Lessig's argument that the public domain will disappear, which was unnecessarily alarmist and short-sighted. Among the rest of the predictions, there are only two I find of interest.
In actual fact, in the Chinese history, the word of "Communist Party" never existed. For the 6,000 years of Chinese civilization, Chinese politics is model on the socialism of Chinese kind. By & large the political system is based on the "Family Politics System" which the Father of the Family have the final say, if want study the reason then Mao expell the Russian adviser's out of the China Communist International, then you would understand why I said.
6. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father, discusses the increasing importance of demography. In his view, "it will gradually dawn on governments that immigration alone cannot solve their demographic troubles and that much more active government involvement in encouraging or discouraging procreation may be necessary." Lee, now retired from government, is unusually perceptive and honest among former politicians, and his views always deserve consideration. In this case, I think he's right to point out the important position that demography will occupy in the future; I think he's also right to say that governments will take a more active role in trying to shape demography. Nevertheless, he puts too great of an emphasis on government authority. In Asia it's true that governments will naturally play a major role in regulating procreation; indeed, they do so already. Yet political culture in the Western world is different, and I suspect that Western governments will play less of a role in fertility decisions than Lee imagines.
I believe he is right for the present & near future on this issue. I also agreed that the Western government would pay less in the intervention of role in fertility & birth control. However, if you look at the nature & history of the evolution of the human kinds, you would envisage that Nature would take it coast of it own cause. A simple analogy is looking at the "Aids" in certain countries, these is the deadly descease that cause of self destruction today!! Whereas, No one can explains why the Mayan race dis-appeared over night!!
Human race is continue to be into the phrase of integration into a single race, this is what we can see now or 10 births from now, it would throught atleast another 1,000 perhaps 2,000 generations.
My comments Are:
1. Princeton ethicist Peter Singer authors the lead essay, contending that "during the next 35 years, the traditional view of the sanctity of human life will collapse under pressure from scientific, technological, and demographic developments." Singer is prominent in his field, and is acknowledged as one of the leading scholars in the area of animal rights.
I done agreed with this, as my observation is that as people moving more into Technology & Sciences, they are more tendency to believe in the power of super-nature & also the philosophy of religions that more acceptable to their life. i.e. Stephen Hawkins is a firm believer of Christ & god. Whereas, Albert Eintein; he had said that the more he understand about Buddhism, the more he think that it is not a religion.....
2. The next essay is a prediction of the demise of political parties by former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. This was, for sure, one of the least persuasive essays.
If you research into the human behavior, you would discover that that cannot be true. As the basic organization of groups are
Preacher's
Warrior's
Soldier's
Labourer's
As long as the classification is there for the past; the present & into the future, my opinion is that the political parties shall exist!!
3. Christopher Hitchens follows that up with a piece on why there's a good chance that the Euro will collapse. As usual, the essay is well-written and literary; in this case, however, that hurts the strength of Hitchens' argument. The case that the Euro will collapse is certainly there; the EU has proven to be a tenuous and politically weak institution in that it's dominated by member-states and their parochial concerns. A divergence between the European economies that the EU is unable to bridge may very well lay the groundwork for a collapse, as the concept of the unified currency is predicated on the idea that Europe really is one economy.
The answer can be yes & no.
Yes is Euro currency can be seen as a international currency after the US$!!
No is the currency have not actually well adopted my members' of the union that they are committed to use EU$ as their common national currencies.
4. After Hitchens comes Shintaro Ishihara, governor of Tokyo and a Japanese nationalist. He predicts that Japan will become a strong and interventionist Asian power. The general concept underlying this thinking--that the great power competition in Asia will compel Tokyo to adopt a security posture grounded in realism--has been discussed before on this blog, and I remain supportive of the theory. The movement toward a more traditional foreign policy, in fact, has already gained widespread acceptance among the elite, as expressed by the serious bipartisan effort to amend Japan's constitution and remove its mandate of pacifism.
In my observation, Japan would unlikely become a super-power in Asia. It is because the effect of Atomic bomb to end the 2nd world war still felt deep in the Hheart of Japanese & the Asian in South East Asia. As well as the China is growing strong in economy, Chinese Government & people would also like to see a peaceful Japan then a military super-power Japan.
5. Minxin Pei follows with why he thinks the Chinese Communist Party will disappear, and I generally agree. China is definitely going to shift away from dictatorship and toward more democratic institutions. My one caveat would be that the Party may very well survive, but in name only; meaning that, for all intents and purposes, the old Party would be dead. Lord John Browne on why the cars of the future will hardly emit anything dangerous is decent enough, I suppose, but it seemed fairly bland compared to rest of the articles; surely he could've gone into a little more depth on this obviously important issue, as he has done in print before. Same with Professor Lawrence Lessig's argument that the public domain will disappear, which was unnecessarily alarmist and short-sighted. Among the rest of the predictions, there are only two I find of interest.
In actual fact, in the Chinese history, the word of "Communist Party" never existed. For the 6,000 years of Chinese civilization, Chinese politics is model on the socialism of Chinese kind. By & large the political system is based on the "Family Politics System" which the Father of the Family have the final say, if want study the reason then Mao expell the Russian adviser's out of the China Communist International, then you would understand why I said.
6. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father, discusses the increasing importance of demography. In his view, "it will gradually dawn on governments that immigration alone cannot solve their demographic troubles and that much more active government involvement in encouraging or discouraging procreation may be necessary." Lee, now retired from government, is unusually perceptive and honest among former politicians, and his views always deserve consideration. In this case, I think he's right to point out the important position that demography will occupy in the future; I think he's also right to say that governments will take a more active role in trying to shape demography. Nevertheless, he puts too great of an emphasis on government authority. In Asia it's true that governments will naturally play a major role in regulating procreation; indeed, they do so already. Yet political culture in the Western world is different, and I suspect that Western governments will play less of a role in fertility decisions than Lee imagines.
I believe he is right for the present & near future on this issue. I also agreed that the Western government would pay less in the intervention of role in fertility & birth control. However, if you look at the nature & history of the evolution of the human kinds, you would envisage that Nature would take it coast of it own cause. A simple analogy is looking at the "Aids" in certain countries, these is the deadly descease that cause of self destruction today!! Whereas, No one can explains why the Mayan race dis-appeared over night!!
Human race is continue to be into the phrase of integration into a single race, this is what we can see now or 10 births from now, it would throught atleast another 1,000 perhaps 2,000 generations.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Flickr Bully -- CharlieBrown8989
Today at 5.00pm, CharlieBrown8989 account have been suspended. He cannot sign in to his pro account!!
The reason is because he build a network of over 10,3xx contacts online!!
The details is appended!!
Hello My Friends
Today, I am given a email by a girl call Ana from Flickr:-
[Flickr Case 35709] Re: About your Flickr account
Hi Charlie,
We are currently evaluating limits on how many contacts a
member can add. You currently have over 10,000 contacts
and the number seems to be growing. I ask at this time
that you begin removing contacts from your list.
We will be putting a limit in place very soon and instead
of us just dumping your contacts, it would probably be
better if you started selecting which ones you prefer to
keep.
Please respond to this email address so I know you've read
and understood this request.
Thank you,
Ana & The Flickr Team
This is getting too much!!
I am sure this is against the human rights. & suppression of minority!!
Moreover this is America!!
This is my friendly advise the Flickr team should stop doing things like these.
Jerry Yang, I am sure this is your job to look at the things now!!
I appreciate that...
The reason is because he build a network of over 10,3xx contacts online!!
The details is appended!!
Hello My Friends
Today, I am given a email by a girl call Ana from Flickr:-
[Flickr Case 35709] Re: About your Flickr account
Hi Charlie,
We are currently evaluating limits on how many contacts a
member can add. You currently have over 10,000 contacts
and the number seems to be growing. I ask at this time
that you begin removing contacts from your list.
We will be putting a limit in place very soon and instead
of us just dumping your contacts, it would probably be
better if you started selecting which ones you prefer to
keep.
Please respond to this email address so I know you've read
and understood this request.
Thank you,
Ana & The Flickr Team
This is getting too much!!
I am sure this is against the human rights. & suppression of minority!!
Moreover this is America!!
This is my friendly advise the Flickr team should stop doing things like these.
Jerry Yang, I am sure this is your job to look at the things now!!
I appreciate that...
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Hu Met James Sung & His Delegation -- 胡锦涛会见亲民党大陆访问团
Hu met James Sung & He stress that both shores should work on the peace, stability, development. That is also the will & wishes of the peoples. As the leader's all have to follow the wishes of the peoples.
Follow the trends do all the good things for the developments & prosperities of both shores. & to contribute to the best of the Chinese Race Great Recovery.
James Sung said, for this trip he have witness the great change & advancement. The most significant things is the China advance in idealogy & the will to match a giant step in Modernization. He believed, only the peace between both shores, then altogether, the Chinese would achieve a greatest success.
In my earlier report. My comment is that both are of the same roots & blood, it is within the family. There is no reason for both people to be at odd with each other. United is the strength. Both Shore need each other to achieve the dream of providing Shelter, Food, prosperity & happiness to the people.
胡锦涛会见亲民党大陆访问团
新华网北京５月１２日电（记者张勇 陈斌华 陈键兴）中共中央总书记胡锦涛今天下午在北京亲切会见了亲民党主席宋楚瑜率领的亲民党大陆访问团全体成员。胡锦涛强调，求和平、求稳定、求发展，是两岸同胞的共同企盼。作为两岸政党领导人，我们应该登高望远、紧跟时代、顺应民意、奋发有为，共同为促进两岸发展繁荣、实现中华民族的伟大复兴而努力。这是时代对我们的要求，也是人民对我们的要求。
下午３时，胡锦涛来到人民大会堂北大厅，同宋楚瑜和夫人陈万水、张昭雄和夫人李芳惠等人亲切握手。随后，胡锦涛来到人民大会堂东大厅，会见亲民党大陆访问团全体成员并合影。
5月12日，中共中央总书记胡锦涛在北京人民大会堂会见亲民党主席宋楚瑜率领的亲民党大陆访问团全体成员。这是胡锦涛同宋楚瑜亲切握手。 新华社记者姚大伟摄
5月12日，中共中央总书记胡锦涛在北京人民大会堂东大厅会见亲民党主席宋楚瑜率领的亲民党大陆访问团全体成员。 新华社记者李学仁摄
在会见中，胡锦涛发表了重要讲话。他说，在这春光明媚的５月，亲民党主席宋楚瑜先生率领亲民党大陆访问团来到北京。两岸的华夏儿女、炎黄子孙相聚在一起，都感到非常亲切。首先，我代表中共中央，向宋主席和夫人，向张副主席和夫人，向亲民党大陆访问团全体成员，表示热烈的欢迎，并致以良好的祝愿。
胡锦涛指出，宋主席率团来大陆访问，同中国共产党进行两党交流和对话，这是我们两党关系中的一件大事，也必将对两岸关系发展产生重要影响。这一重大举措，表达了我们两党为台海地区谋和平、为两岸同胞谋福祉的决心和诚意，符合当今时代发展的潮流，符合两岸同胞的共同心愿。我相信，历史将铭记我们今天的历史性握手和历史性会见。
胡锦涛强调，两岸同胞同根、同族、同脉。中华民族绵延五千多年的悠久历史和灿烂文化，把我们紧紧联系在一起。我们都是中华民族的子孙，都应该以我们伟大的民族为自豪，都应该以振兴我们伟大的民族为己任。今天，纵观世界发展大势，中华民族的发展正面临着难得的历史性机遇。宋主席和亲民党坚持体现一个中国原则的“九二共识”，坚持反对“台独”，主张发展两岸关系，我们对此高度肯定和赞赏。坚持体现一个中国原则的“九二共识”，坚持反对“台独”，是两岸开展对话和协商的政治基础，也是促进两岸关系和平稳定发展的政治基础。不久前中国国民党主席连战先生率团来访，这次宋主席率团来访，都得到了大陆同胞的热情欢迎，也得到了多数台湾同胞的肯定和支持。这表明，两岸同胞都认为这些做法符合他们的心愿和利益。在这里，我愿再次重申，只要承认一个中国原则，承认“九二共识”，不管是什么人、什么政党，也不管他们过去说过什么、做过什么，我们都愿意同他们谈发展两岸关系、促进和平统一的问题。
胡锦涛最后表示，当前，两岸关系发展正处在一个关键时期。我们两党应该以积极的作为，向两岸同胞展现两岸关系和平稳定发展的希望和前景，向世界表明两岸的中国人有能力、有智慧解决彼此的矛盾和问题。宋主席把这次大陆之行称为“搭桥之旅”，我衷心希望通过亲民党大陆访问团的这次访问，在我们两党之间搭起一座互信之桥，在两岸同胞之间搭起一座沟通之桥。一会儿，我要和宋主席举行正式会谈。我相信，在共同的政治基础上，经过双方共同努力，会谈一定会取得积极成果。我同样相信，只要两岸同胞携手努力，两岸关系就一定能够朝着和平稳定的方向发展，两岸共同发展繁荣、中华民族的伟大复兴就一定能够实现。
宋楚瑜首先对胡锦涛总书记邀请他率亲民党访问团访问大陆表示诚挚的谢意。他说，这是亲民党和中国共产党第一次就两岸关系的重大问题进行沟通，是历史性的大事。两岸人民都是炎黄子孙，都是中国人。亲民党此次来访，正是要找寻两岸人民沟通的基础，为两岸搭互信之桥、沟通之桥和感情心灵相通之桥。
宋楚瑜表示，此次来访虽然时间很短，但在各地都看到大陆改革开放以来的进步和巨大变化，让人振奋，也看到大陆在迈向现代化过程中的先进理念和豪迈雄心。只要给两岸一个和平环境，两岸的中国人一定能够创造更了不起的成就。
中共中央政治局委员吴仪，中共中央政治局候补委员、中共中央书记处书记、中共中央办公厅主任王刚，中共中央台湾工作办公室主任陈云林等参加了会见。（完）
http://news.xinhuanet.com/taiwan/2005-05/12/content_2951190.htm
Follow the trends do all the good things for the developments & prosperities of both shores. & to contribute to the best of the Chinese Race Great Recovery.
James Sung said, for this trip he have witness the great change & advancement. The most significant things is the China advance in idealogy & the will to match a giant step in Modernization. He believed, only the peace between both shores, then altogether, the Chinese would achieve a greatest success.
In my earlier report. My comment is that both are of the same roots & blood, it is within the family. There is no reason for both people to be at odd with each other. United is the strength. Both Shore need each other to achieve the dream of providing Shelter, Food, prosperity & happiness to the people.
胡锦涛会见亲民党大陆访问团
新华网北京５月１２日电（记者张勇 陈斌华 陈键兴）中共中央总书记胡锦涛今天下午在北京亲切会见了亲民党主席宋楚瑜率领的亲民党大陆访问团全体成员。胡锦涛强调，求和平、求稳定、求发展，是两岸同胞的共同企盼。作为两岸政党领导人，我们应该登高望远、紧跟时代、顺应民意、奋发有为，共同为促进两岸发展繁荣、实现中华民族的伟大复兴而努力。这是时代对我们的要求，也是人民对我们的要求。
下午３时，胡锦涛来到人民大会堂北大厅，同宋楚瑜和夫人陈万水、张昭雄和夫人李芳惠等人亲切握手。随后，胡锦涛来到人民大会堂东大厅，会见亲民党大陆访问团全体成员并合影。
5月12日，中共中央总书记胡锦涛在北京人民大会堂会见亲民党主席宋楚瑜率领的亲民党大陆访问团全体成员。这是胡锦涛同宋楚瑜亲切握手。 新华社记者姚大伟摄
5月12日，中共中央总书记胡锦涛在北京人民大会堂东大厅会见亲民党主席宋楚瑜率领的亲民党大陆访问团全体成员。 新华社记者李学仁摄
在会见中，胡锦涛发表了重要讲话。他说，在这春光明媚的５月，亲民党主席宋楚瑜先生率领亲民党大陆访问团来到北京。两岸的华夏儿女、炎黄子孙相聚在一起，都感到非常亲切。首先，我代表中共中央，向宋主席和夫人，向张副主席和夫人，向亲民党大陆访问团全体成员，表示热烈的欢迎，并致以良好的祝愿。
胡锦涛指出，宋主席率团来大陆访问，同中国共产党进行两党交流和对话，这是我们两党关系中的一件大事，也必将对两岸关系发展产生重要影响。这一重大举措，表达了我们两党为台海地区谋和平、为两岸同胞谋福祉的决心和诚意，符合当今时代发展的潮流，符合两岸同胞的共同心愿。我相信，历史将铭记我们今天的历史性握手和历史性会见。
胡锦涛强调，两岸同胞同根、同族、同脉。中华民族绵延五千多年的悠久历史和灿烂文化，把我们紧紧联系在一起。我们都是中华民族的子孙，都应该以我们伟大的民族为自豪，都应该以振兴我们伟大的民族为己任。今天，纵观世界发展大势，中华民族的发展正面临着难得的历史性机遇。宋主席和亲民党坚持体现一个中国原则的“九二共识”，坚持反对“台独”，主张发展两岸关系，我们对此高度肯定和赞赏。坚持体现一个中国原则的“九二共识”，坚持反对“台独”，是两岸开展对话和协商的政治基础，也是促进两岸关系和平稳定发展的政治基础。不久前中国国民党主席连战先生率团来访，这次宋主席率团来访，都得到了大陆同胞的热情欢迎，也得到了多数台湾同胞的肯定和支持。这表明，两岸同胞都认为这些做法符合他们的心愿和利益。在这里，我愿再次重申，只要承认一个中国原则，承认“九二共识”，不管是什么人、什么政党，也不管他们过去说过什么、做过什么，我们都愿意同他们谈发展两岸关系、促进和平统一的问题。
胡锦涛最后表示，当前，两岸关系发展正处在一个关键时期。我们两党应该以积极的作为，向两岸同胞展现两岸关系和平稳定发展的希望和前景，向世界表明两岸的中国人有能力、有智慧解决彼此的矛盾和问题。宋主席把这次大陆之行称为“搭桥之旅”，我衷心希望通过亲民党大陆访问团的这次访问，在我们两党之间搭起一座互信之桥，在两岸同胞之间搭起一座沟通之桥。一会儿，我要和宋主席举行正式会谈。我相信，在共同的政治基础上，经过双方共同努力，会谈一定会取得积极成果。我同样相信，只要两岸同胞携手努力，两岸关系就一定能够朝着和平稳定的方向发展，两岸共同发展繁荣、中华民族的伟大复兴就一定能够实现。
宋楚瑜首先对胡锦涛总书记邀请他率亲民党访问团访问大陆表示诚挚的谢意。他说，这是亲民党和中国共产党第一次就两岸关系的重大问题进行沟通，是历史性的大事。两岸人民都是炎黄子孙，都是中国人。亲民党此次来访，正是要找寻两岸人民沟通的基础，为两岸搭互信之桥、沟通之桥和感情心灵相通之桥。
宋楚瑜表示，此次来访虽然时间很短，但在各地都看到大陆改革开放以来的进步和巨大变化，让人振奋，也看到大陆在迈向现代化过程中的先进理念和豪迈雄心。只要给两岸一个和平环境，两岸的中国人一定能够创造更了不起的成就。
中共中央政治局委员吴仪，中共中央政治局候补委员、中共中央书记处书记、中共中央办公厅主任王刚，中共中央台湾工作办公室主任陈云林等参加了会见。（完）
http://news.xinhuanet.com/taiwan/2005-05/12/content_2951190.htm
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
James Sung: All Eacts Shown That PRC is Arising!! 宋楚瑜：所有数据和事实都说明中国正在快速崛起
James Sung of Taiwan speaking in Beijing Ching Hua University that all figures & indicators shown, People's Republic of China is Arising rapidly.
The common goal for both shores is to let the Chinese people away from backward poor Nation to a equal wealth society.
The world have to face the truth that the Chinese people are at its most prosperous period compare with the past few hundred years. That is the important period for the Chinese to stand up a tall rewrite the victimized history. The actual enemy for both shore is not the brotherhood relationship. But is the poverty & balance of distribution for wealth......
As in my earlier blog. I have mentioned, the issues of China & Taiwan is not an issue..The actual issues & concern of both shall be the Jobs, Food, Shelter for the Chinese people. Taiwan have a lots to contribute in leading the economy change for the mainland.
Wheareas, China have the significant resources for Taiwan as their natural domestic market & manufacturing base. So these are the advantage for the Chinese people & Chinese race altogether. With the peaceful mission from both Lian & Sung.. I am confident that the peace & stablity would be happen sooner between both China & Taiwan.
As whatever happen, it is still within the family. especially Blood is thicker then water. So let's them sought out within the family is the key after all.
宋楚瑜：所有数据和事实都说明中国正在快速崛起
新华网北京５月１１日电
亲民党主席宋楚瑜１１日在清华大学演讲时说，所有的数据和事实都说明中国正在快速地崛起。让中国人挣脱落后和贫穷成为一个均富的社会，这才是海峡两岸共同追求的目标。
宋楚瑜说，一个全球必须面对的必然趋势，那就是中国的崛起。现在是中华民族有史
以来最繁荣、富足的时候，也是中国人摆脱百年屈辱最关键的时刻，因此，两岸真正的敌人不是兄弟彼此，而是束缚了中国数百年的落后和贫穷，让中国人挣脱落后和贫穷成为一个均富的社会，这才是海峡两岸共同追求的目标。
宋楚瑜说，所有的数据和事实都说明中国正在快速地崛起。１５年以前，美国认为浦东的开发是不可能的事，但现在却是亚洲金融的中心。现在美国人学中文急切的程度超过学法文，以往我们讲电影，是美国文化的代表。而现在，中国的电影明星却向美国输出，在大陆有张艺谋，在台湾有李安，章子怡更是大家都认识。
宋楚瑜说：全世界现在都在等待东方这条巨龙能够腾飞，但两岸的中国人我们准备好了吗？（完）
The common goal for both shores is to let the Chinese people away from backward poor Nation to a equal wealth society.
The world have to face the truth that the Chinese people are at its most prosperous period compare with the past few hundred years. That is the important period for the Chinese to stand up a tall rewrite the victimized history. The actual enemy for both shore is not the brotherhood relationship. But is the poverty & balance of distribution for wealth......
As in my earlier blog. I have mentioned, the issues of China & Taiwan is not an issue..The actual issues & concern of both shall be the Jobs, Food, Shelter for the Chinese people. Taiwan have a lots to contribute in leading the economy change for the mainland.
Wheareas, China have the significant resources for Taiwan as their natural domestic market & manufacturing base. So these are the advantage for the Chinese people & Chinese race altogether. With the peaceful mission from both Lian & Sung.. I am confident that the peace & stablity would be happen sooner between both China & Taiwan.
As whatever happen, it is still within the family. especially Blood is thicker then water. So let's them sought out within the family is the key after all.
宋楚瑜：所有数据和事实都说明中国正在快速崛起
新华网北京５月１１日电
亲民党主席宋楚瑜１１日在清华大学演讲时说，所有的数据和事实都说明中国正在快速地崛起。让中国人挣脱落后和贫穷成为一个均富的社会，这才是海峡两岸共同追求的目标。
宋楚瑜说，一个全球必须面对的必然趋势，那就是中国的崛起。现在是中华民族有史
以来最繁荣、富足的时候，也是中国人摆脱百年屈辱最关键的时刻，因此，两岸真正的敌人不是兄弟彼此，而是束缚了中国数百年的落后和贫穷，让中国人挣脱落后和贫穷成为一个均富的社会，这才是海峡两岸共同追求的目标。
宋楚瑜说，所有的数据和事实都说明中国正在快速地崛起。１５年以前，美国认为浦东的开发是不可能的事，但现在却是亚洲金融的中心。现在美国人学中文急切的程度超过学法文，以往我们讲电影，是美国文化的代表。而现在，中国的电影明星却向美国输出，在大陆有张艺谋，在台湾有李安，章子怡更是大家都认识。
宋楚瑜说：全世界现在都在等待东方这条巨龙能够腾飞，但两岸的中国人我们准备好了吗？（完）
Thursday, May 05, 2005
James Sung Arrived In China 宋楚瑜率亲民党访问团开始大陆之行
James Sung was the senior member of the Nationist party before he initiated his own party.
On May 05, 2005 he arrived in China together with his party executive team. James said in Taiwan regardless of which ethnic group's you are from all their respective ancestor's are from the "Yellow Highland".
He reiterated that his party is against the Taiwan independant, also aginst; one China One Taiwan or 2 China & 2 separate Nations. He said although China & Taiwan is separate by the straits, However, as long as the heart is always together then onc3e the heart is mutually communicated, everything would be on a smooth flow.
My Opinion is that with the visit of Lian & Sung, the peace between Taiwan & China would certainly established. These would also bring the stability to the North Eastern Asia. I am sure Hu is going to tell Sung the same message that Lian carried back to Taiwan.
What the people at both shore needs is for their family to reunion, for their people to have jobs, food, & shelter. The parties between both shore them must work in syn to achieve the wants & Needs of their people.
宋楚瑜率亲民党访问团开始大陆之行
新华网西安５月５日电（记者张勇 冯国 刘喜梅）５日１５时２５分许，亲民党主席宋楚瑜率领的亲民党大陆访问团一行５０人搭乘南方航空公司客机顺利抵达西安咸阳机场，开始对大陆进行为期９天的访问。
１５时３８分，飞机舱门打开，宋楚瑜站在舷梯平台上向停
机坪上欢迎的人群挥手致意，人们报以热烈的掌声。
“当飞机飞到西安上空时，看到共同的老祖先中华民族发源的沃野秦川，看到我们共同祖先在这边创造华夏文明的非常美丽的土地，内心不禁非常激动和感动。”１５时４６分，宋楚瑜在机场停机坪发表演讲。
他说，我们在台湾无论是称河洛人、称客家人还是称外省人，我们所有乡亲的祖先不就共同来自于今天所在的这片土地——黄土高原？他还即兴模仿陕西口音说：“我为啥皮肤是黄黄的，我不但是东方人，我也是中国人。各位乡亲，各位乡党，大家都是一家人。”
宋楚瑜表示，亲民党绝不动摇、始终一贯的政策和立场，就是我们反对“台独”，我们从来认为“台独”不是台湾的选项。亲民党不但反对“台独”，反对“两个中国”，反对“一中一台”，更反对“两国论”，这些是亲民党创党以来坚持的目标、政策、立场。
应中共中央和中共中央总书记胡锦涛的邀请，宋楚瑜率领亲民党访问团将在大陆进行９天８夜的访问。访问期间，宋楚瑜将在北京与胡锦涛总书记进行会谈。
“海峡是人为障碍隔绝了我们，我们只要心灵相通，就会精诚合作，让我们为共同的未来奋斗。”宋楚瑜说。
现场快门声响成一片，密密麻麻的摄像机、录音机记录着这个具有重要意义的时刻。面对数百名中外记者的采访，宋楚瑜表示，两岸要心灵相通，只要心灵相通，一通百通。
宋楚瑜夫人陈万水、亲民党副主席张昭雄夫妇等访问团成员同机抵达。
中共中央台湾工作办公室主任陈云林、中共陕西省委副书记杨永茂、中共中央台湾工作办公室副主任王富卿和当地台商代表等前往机场迎接宋楚瑜一行。
雨后的西安艳阳高照。宋楚瑜一行的到来，在这座有３０００多年建城史的现代化都市里引起了普遍的关注。西安市民杨敏说，听完宋楚瑜主席在机场的讲话后很受感动，“我觉得两岸的沟通和了解又进了一步。作为西安市民，对于亲民党的到访非常欢迎，希望同胞们多来串门。”
西安是宋楚瑜访问大陆的首站。访问团在西安的重点行程是拜谒黄帝陵——海内外华夏儿女寻根认祖的圣地。（完）
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-05/05/content_2919900.htm
On May 05, 2005 he arrived in China together with his party executive team. James said in Taiwan regardless of which ethnic group's you are from all their respective ancestor's are from the "Yellow Highland".
He reiterated that his party is against the Taiwan independant, also aginst; one China One Taiwan or 2 China & 2 separate Nations. He said although China & Taiwan is separate by the straits, However, as long as the heart is always together then onc3e the heart is mutually communicated, everything would be on a smooth flow.
My Opinion is that with the visit of Lian & Sung, the peace between Taiwan & China would certainly established. These would also bring the stability to the North Eastern Asia. I am sure Hu is going to tell Sung the same message that Lian carried back to Taiwan.
What the people at both shore needs is for their family to reunion, for their people to have jobs, food, & shelter. The parties between both shore them must work in syn to achieve the wants & Needs of their people.
宋楚瑜率亲民党访问团开始大陆之行
新华网西安５月５日电（记者张勇 冯国 刘喜梅）５日１５时２５分许，亲民党主席宋楚瑜率领的亲民党大陆访问团一行５０人搭乘南方航空公司客机顺利抵达西安咸阳机场，开始对大陆进行为期９天的访问。
１５时３８分，飞机舱门打开，宋楚瑜站在舷梯平台上向停
机坪上欢迎的人群挥手致意，人们报以热烈的掌声。
“当飞机飞到西安上空时，看到共同的老祖先中华民族发源的沃野秦川，看到我们共同祖先在这边创造华夏文明的非常美丽的土地，内心不禁非常激动和感动。”１５时４６分，宋楚瑜在机场停机坪发表演讲。
他说，我们在台湾无论是称河洛人、称客家人还是称外省人，我们所有乡亲的祖先不就共同来自于今天所在的这片土地——黄土高原？他还即兴模仿陕西口音说：“我为啥皮肤是黄黄的，我不但是东方人，我也是中国人。各位乡亲，各位乡党，大家都是一家人。”
宋楚瑜表示，亲民党绝不动摇、始终一贯的政策和立场，就是我们反对“台独”，我们从来认为“台独”不是台湾的选项。亲民党不但反对“台独”，反对“两个中国”，反对“一中一台”，更反对“两国论”，这些是亲民党创党以来坚持的目标、政策、立场。
应中共中央和中共中央总书记胡锦涛的邀请，宋楚瑜率领亲民党访问团将在大陆进行９天８夜的访问。访问期间，宋楚瑜将在北京与胡锦涛总书记进行会谈。
“海峡是人为障碍隔绝了我们，我们只要心灵相通，就会精诚合作，让我们为共同的未来奋斗。”宋楚瑜说。
现场快门声响成一片，密密麻麻的摄像机、录音机记录着这个具有重要意义的时刻。面对数百名中外记者的采访，宋楚瑜表示，两岸要心灵相通，只要心灵相通，一通百通。
宋楚瑜夫人陈万水、亲民党副主席张昭雄夫妇等访问团成员同机抵达。
中共中央台湾工作办公室主任陈云林、中共陕西省委副书记杨永茂、中共中央台湾工作办公室副主任王富卿和当地台商代表等前往机场迎接宋楚瑜一行。
雨后的西安艳阳高照。宋楚瑜一行的到来，在这座有３０００多年建城史的现代化都市里引起了普遍的关注。西安市民杨敏说，听完宋楚瑜主席在机场的讲话后很受感动，“我觉得两岸的沟通和了解又进了一步。作为西安市民，对于亲民党的到访非常欢迎，希望同胞们多来串门。”
西安是宋楚瑜访问大陆的首站。访问团在西安的重点行程是拜谒黄帝陵——海内外华夏儿女寻根认祖的圣地。（完）
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-05/05/content_2919900.htm
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Lian Comments On His Trip Accomplishments of His Visit 连战对国共两党会谈成果给予积极评价
Lian Chan have make the following comments on his trip.
1. Economic & Trade Bi-lateral Relations is the key of His Peace Journey.
It give Taiwan an opportunity for the 2nd golden economy era.
2. Hope that the both shores would continue the good foundation for a peaceful, foregiveness, more dialogues, & better understanding.
3. More peace mission between the 2 parties & the 2 shores for the Chinese people.
In my earlier reports. I have mentioned times and again that Chinese people wish & Chinese people will is for the peace & happiness of the race.
The most important thing is the shelter & food for their life.
With Taiwan knowledge in various management skills of the industries & the resources that China have, it would benefits to the people in both places for now.
These would bring stablity & peace to the region.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-05/03/content_2913044.htm#
连战对国共两党会谈成果给予积极评价
新华网上海５月２日电（记者季明 潘清 陈斌华）中国国民党主席连战２日在上海举行记者会，对４月２９日他与中共中央总书记胡锦涛会谈新闻公报的主要内容阐述了看法，对会谈取得的成果给予积极评价。
关于建立党对党定期沟通平台的问题，连战说，除了加强两党各层级干部日常交流之外，国共两党已同意设立和平发展和经贸文化两个论坛，作为双方沟通的平台。这两个论坛将就两岸和平以及经贸文化相关事宜分别进行意见交换，凝聚共识，提出具体意见，以供两岸参考和落实。论坛参加者不局限于两党党务工作人员，将邀请相关人士参与。
连战说，国共两党领导人已就结束两岸敌对状态、促进两岸签署和平协议获得一致看法。国民党希望台湾当局积极地来准备，并且通过两岸谈判正式地加以落实。一旦结束了当前两岸敌对的状态，必将为台湾带来新的和平的大环境。
他表示，两岸建立军事互信机制，是一个非常重要的、积极的看法。国民党访问团返回台湾之后，会积极促进台湾当局来积极地作准备，以便早日推进。一旦两岸有了军事互信，台湾人民所关心的军事安全问题应该就可以得到适当的解决。
关于建立两岸经济合作机制的问题，连战说，两岸经贸全面交流是国民党大陆访问团最主要的目标，也是当前可以掌握的最现实的问题。大陆今天已经成为世界的工厂、世界的市场，这一点我们一定要正视、要面对，不必因为任何意识形态而忽视这一事实。为持续提升台湾的竞争力，两岸应该在经贸方面加强各方面的合作。假如能够成立一个架构，借由市场机制真正地整合，这个饼会越做越大，力量会越来越强。
他表示，国民党副主席江丙坤“打头阵”和中台办主任陈云林达成１２项共同看法，胡锦涛总书记和他当面讲，落实这１２项工作，都将以台湾人民的福祉为出发点。
在台湾方面，连战说，民间可以做的要赶快做，可以进一步协商的要赶快协商，当局能做的希望赶快积极推动。（完）
连战：经贸交流是“和平之旅”最主要目标
连战提到，经贸方面全面交流，是中国国民党“和平之旅”访问团最主要的目标。连战说，中国大陆已成世界工厂和世界市场，直航和“三通”对台湾来说意义更重大，农产品“登陆”、台商权益保障、金融和医疗等服务业的开通，这些工作落实后都会造福台湾人民。为此，国民党还提出“共同市场”概念，希望能给台湾带来第二次经济起飞的机遇。
连战：希望两岸走和解对话之路
中国国民党主席连战３日在上海接受新华社、人民日报等大陆主要媒体记者联合采访时说，我们要以人民的福祉为出发点，不要再重复过去对峙、对抗、对立、对撞的路，要走和解、对话的道路，致力两岸稳定、和平。
连战：大陆之行非常愉快顺利
新华网上海５月３日电（记者陈斌华 潘清 季明）中国国民党主席连战３日在上海接受大陆主要媒体记者联合采访时说，此次大陆之行非常愉快顺利。
连战：国民党将继续推动两岸和平交流
新华网上海５月３日电（记者陈斌华 潘清 季明）中国国民党主席连战３日在上海接受新华社、人民日报等大陆主要媒体记者联合采访时说，对于此次“和平之旅”的意义，我们不敢自我期许太高，但是它很有意义，意味着两岸交流新世纪的开始。我们能踏出历史的一步，非常值得珍惜，还愿意
继续这样做。
连战在上海举行临时记者会 透露胡连会多项成果
中国国民党主席连战今天在上海举行临时记者会，向海内外媒体披露了“胡连会”的多项成果。连战称，未来国共两党之间将建立一个沟通平台，成为对口的“单位”，并就和平发展和经贸文化等内容设立两党之间长期性的论坛。
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-05/03/content_2913044.htm
1. Economic & Trade Bi-lateral Relations is the key of His Peace Journey.
It give Taiwan an opportunity for the 2nd golden economy era.
2. Hope that the both shores would continue the good foundation for a peaceful, foregiveness, more dialogues, & better understanding.
3. More peace mission between the 2 parties & the 2 shores for the Chinese people.
In my earlier reports. I have mentioned times and again that Chinese people wish & Chinese people will is for the peace & happiness of the race.
The most important thing is the shelter & food for their life.
With Taiwan knowledge in various management skills of the industries & the resources that China have, it would benefits to the people in both places for now.
These would bring stablity & peace to the region.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-05/03/content_2913044.htm#
连战对国共两党会谈成果给予积极评价
新华网上海５月２日电（记者季明 潘清 陈斌华）中国国民党主席连战２日在上海举行记者会，对４月２９日他与中共中央总书记胡锦涛会谈新闻公报的主要内容阐述了看法，对会谈取得的成果给予积极评价。
关于建立党对党定期沟通平台的问题，连战说，除了加强两党各层级干部日常交流之外，国共两党已同意设立和平发展和经贸文化两个论坛，作为双方沟通的平台。这两个论坛将就两岸和平以及经贸文化相关事宜分别进行意见交换，凝聚共识，提出具体意见，以供两岸参考和落实。论坛参加者不局限于两党党务工作人员，将邀请相关人士参与。
连战说，国共两党领导人已就结束两岸敌对状态、促进两岸签署和平协议获得一致看法。国民党希望台湾当局积极地来准备，并且通过两岸谈判正式地加以落实。一旦结束了当前两岸敌对的状态，必将为台湾带来新的和平的大环境。
他表示，两岸建立军事互信机制，是一个非常重要的、积极的看法。国民党访问团返回台湾之后，会积极促进台湾当局来积极地作准备，以便早日推进。一旦两岸有了军事互信，台湾人民所关心的军事安全问题应该就可以得到适当的解决。
关于建立两岸经济合作机制的问题，连战说，两岸经贸全面交流是国民党大陆访问团最主要的目标，也是当前可以掌握的最现实的问题。大陆今天已经成为世界的工厂、世界的市场，这一点我们一定要正视、要面对，不必因为任何意识形态而忽视这一事实。为持续提升台湾的竞争力，两岸应该在经贸方面加强各方面的合作。假如能够成立一个架构，借由市场机制真正地整合，这个饼会越做越大，力量会越来越强。
他表示，国民党副主席江丙坤“打头阵”和中台办主任陈云林达成１２项共同看法，胡锦涛总书记和他当面讲，落实这１２项工作，都将以台湾人民的福祉为出发点。
在台湾方面，连战说，民间可以做的要赶快做，可以进一步协商的要赶快协商，当局能做的希望赶快积极推动。（完）
连战：经贸交流是“和平之旅”最主要目标
连战提到，经贸方面全面交流，是中国国民党“和平之旅”访问团最主要的目标。连战说，中国大陆已成世界工厂和世界市场，直航和“三通”对台湾来说意义更重大，农产品“登陆”、台商权益保障、金融和医疗等服务业的开通，这些工作落实后都会造福台湾人民。为此，国民党还提出“共同市场”概念，希望能给台湾带来第二次经济起飞的机遇。
连战：希望两岸走和解对话之路
中国国民党主席连战３日在上海接受新华社、人民日报等大陆主要媒体记者联合采访时说，我们要以人民的福祉为出发点，不要再重复过去对峙、对抗、对立、对撞的路，要走和解、对话的道路，致力两岸稳定、和平。
连战：大陆之行非常愉快顺利
新华网上海５月３日电（记者陈斌华 潘清 季明）中国国民党主席连战３日在上海接受大陆主要媒体记者联合采访时说，此次大陆之行非常愉快顺利。
连战：国民党将继续推动两岸和平交流
新华网上海５月３日电（记者陈斌华 潘清 季明）中国国民党主席连战３日在上海接受新华社、人民日报等大陆主要媒体记者联合采访时说，对于此次“和平之旅”的意义，我们不敢自我期许太高，但是它很有意义，意味着两岸交流新世纪的开始。我们能踏出历史的一步，非常值得珍惜，还愿意
继续这样做。
连战在上海举行临时记者会 透露胡连会多项成果
中国国民党主席连战今天在上海举行临时记者会，向海内外媒体披露了“胡连会”的多项成果。连战称，未来国共两党之间将建立一个沟通平台，成为对口的“单位”，并就和平发展和经贸文化等内容设立两党之间长期性的论坛。
http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-05/03/content_2913044.htm
Monday, May 02, 2005
Brown among few politicians willing to let it rip
In fact most of the politicians today are not so technology savy. It is supprising to me that many of my generation politician still depend on their secretary to do the inputing of paper works. Need not to say about the skill of publishing on the web.
Before, I start to involve in blogging. I have gone through many experience of dependants on other to do the website & publish my own work.
Now I have over 16th blogs that I am managing myself daily.
The trend is certain that be it commercial ; buisnesses & politician's each & everyone in these Knowledge economy era must get into Blogging themself, in order to put one thoughts & ideas forward & stay connected with the people & be connected.
Brown among few politicians willing to let it rip
By Michelle Locke, The Associated Press
OAKLAND — Mayor Jerry Brown, two-time governor, three-time presidential candidate and longtime spiritual scholar, has gone where relatively few politicians dare: The one-on-one, warts-and-all world of the personal Web log.
His entries so far (www.jerrybrown.typepad.com) have included a vigorous defense of his idea for parolee curfews, a thoughtful reminiscence of the late Hunter S. Thompson and a lively, ringside-seat account of state's Democratic convention. ("Day Two of the convention, and it's a real bash — on the Governor.")
Also posted are hundreds of words of feedback, both celebratory and scathing — the kind of direct interaction with the body politic that many politicians rarely experience.
"This is what I would call independent thinking," Brown said in a recent interview about his new pastime.
It's the rare politician these days who doesn't have some Web presence, but they're only recently getting into blogs after watching Howard Dean use the Internet as a way to blast through the MSM (mainstream media) filter and communicate directly with voters.
"Everyone who has something interesting to say cannot afford not to be saying it in a blog as well," said Sreenath Sreenivasan, a professor at the Columbia School of Journalism who follows the blogosphere.
The politblog vanguard includes North Dakota, where five senators began blogging recently on The Bismarck Tribune's legislative Web site, and Minnesota, where several state legislators maintain personal blogs, including state Rep. Ray Cox, considered by the Pew project to be the first major politician to blog. A recent Cox entry detailed his ride to work, complete with digital photos.
Still, relatively few politicians are opting to cast aside the safety net of canned press releases and blue-penciling aides.
Who better to lead them than Brown? Once satirically dubbed Gov. Moonbeam for his futuristic thinking, he's studied classics at Berkeley and law at Yale, meditated with a Zen master in Tokyo and helped Mother Teresa care for India's dying, seemingly following his own muse throughout his life.
"Jerry Brown has always been willing to put his personality forward without worrying about having to round it off," said Michael Cornfield, senior research consultant to the Pew Internet & American Life Project and author of "Politics Moves Online."
Brown's had a Web page for years; he got the idea of starting a blog from a tech-minded friend who advised him to push his online presence "into the 21st century."
Bloggers, as Brown discovered and wrote in an early posting, "are a force."
But politicians, as a species, tend to be anything but freewheeling.
"To be a blogger means to be able to communicate with passion and to communicate with a personal voice and some politicians are not comfortable with that," said Cornfield. Upside? "A politician can use a blog to speak in a normal tone of voice and act like a real human being."
Downside: "You say something that rubs somebody the wrong way."
Some politicians' blogs have the smack of a canned release; others are little more than a string of repostings of other writers. Which leads to a commonly asked question of politblogs: Is the politician really writing it?
The question stings for Brown. He says he got some technical help, but the words are his.
"Can't you tell?" he asks. "This is my stuff. I write."
True enough, his entries are stocked with typically erudite eruptions, such as "torrid animadversions" — Brown's way of saying "heated criticism."
Brown has been a perceptive but not prolific poster. Aides blame his busy schedule, which includes preparing for a run at attorney general next year as well as his upcoming marriage to longtime girlfriend Anne Gust, who recently quit her job as an executive at Gap Inc.
Reactions posted on the blog range from hearty endorsement to rude put-down.
"Some people get pretty excited," Brown said with a chuckle. "In every blog there's a range of comments from the extreme to the thoughtful. It's a living research process."
Really extreme comments won't be posted; "there's a few trolls out there," Brown said, but a lot of quite critical responses do make it in.
"Get real, Jerry," wrote one. "Remember when you were hanging with the Black Panthers and talking about justice? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?"
Others are more encouraging: "It's great that you're blogging. Another in a series of innovative moves."
And some are downright friendly: "I am also diggin' the photo," wrote one admirer about the blog's mugshot of Brown, a stark reminder that the floppy brown hair he sported as governor went the way of disco. "Very Kojak, very sexy."
Are more politicians likely to hear the call of the blog?
Cornfield thinks so.
"I can't imagine that at some point we won't see someone who is to the Internet what JFK was to television and FDR was to radio," he said. "And whoever that person is, he or she is going to have a blog."
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-04-28-brown-blog_x.htm
Before, I start to involve in blogging. I have gone through many experience of dependants on other to do the website & publish my own work.
Now I have over 16th blogs that I am managing myself daily.
The trend is certain that be it commercial ; buisnesses & politician's each & everyone in these Knowledge economy era must get into Blogging themself, in order to put one thoughts & ideas forward & stay connected with the people & be connected.
Brown among few politicians willing to let it rip
By Michelle Locke, The Associated Press
OAKLAND — Mayor Jerry Brown, two-time governor, three-time presidential candidate and longtime spiritual scholar, has gone where relatively few politicians dare: The one-on-one, warts-and-all world of the personal Web log.
His entries so far (www.jerrybrown.typepad.com) have included a vigorous defense of his idea for parolee curfews, a thoughtful reminiscence of the late Hunter S. Thompson and a lively, ringside-seat account of state's Democratic convention. ("Day Two of the convention, and it's a real bash — on the Governor.")
Also posted are hundreds of words of feedback, both celebratory and scathing — the kind of direct interaction with the body politic that many politicians rarely experience.
"This is what I would call independent thinking," Brown said in a recent interview about his new pastime.
It's the rare politician these days who doesn't have some Web presence, but they're only recently getting into blogs after watching Howard Dean use the Internet as a way to blast through the MSM (mainstream media) filter and communicate directly with voters.
"Everyone who has something interesting to say cannot afford not to be saying it in a blog as well," said Sreenath Sreenivasan, a professor at the Columbia School of Journalism who follows the blogosphere.
The politblog vanguard includes North Dakota, where five senators began blogging recently on The Bismarck Tribune's legislative Web site, and Minnesota, where several state legislators maintain personal blogs, including state Rep. Ray Cox, considered by the Pew project to be the first major politician to blog. A recent Cox entry detailed his ride to work, complete with digital photos.
Still, relatively few politicians are opting to cast aside the safety net of canned press releases and blue-penciling aides.
Who better to lead them than Brown? Once satirically dubbed Gov. Moonbeam for his futuristic thinking, he's studied classics at Berkeley and law at Yale, meditated with a Zen master in Tokyo and helped Mother Teresa care for India's dying, seemingly following his own muse throughout his life.
"Jerry Brown has always been willing to put his personality forward without worrying about having to round it off," said Michael Cornfield, senior research consultant to the Pew Internet & American Life Project and author of "Politics Moves Online."
Brown's had a Web page for years; he got the idea of starting a blog from a tech-minded friend who advised him to push his online presence "into the 21st century."
Bloggers, as Brown discovered and wrote in an early posting, "are a force."
But politicians, as a species, tend to be anything but freewheeling.
"To be a blogger means to be able to communicate with passion and to communicate with a personal voice and some politicians are not comfortable with that," said Cornfield. Upside? "A politician can use a blog to speak in a normal tone of voice and act like a real human being."
Downside: "You say something that rubs somebody the wrong way."
Some politicians' blogs have the smack of a canned release; others are little more than a string of repostings of other writers. Which leads to a commonly asked question of politblogs: Is the politician really writing it?
The question stings for Brown. He says he got some technical help, but the words are his.
"Can't you tell?" he asks. "This is my stuff. I write."
True enough, his entries are stocked with typically erudite eruptions, such as "torrid animadversions" — Brown's way of saying "heated criticism."
Brown has been a perceptive but not prolific poster. Aides blame his busy schedule, which includes preparing for a run at attorney general next year as well as his upcoming marriage to longtime girlfriend Anne Gust, who recently quit her job as an executive at Gap Inc.
Reactions posted on the blog range from hearty endorsement to rude put-down.
"Some people get pretty excited," Brown said with a chuckle. "In every blog there's a range of comments from the extreme to the thoughtful. It's a living research process."
Really extreme comments won't be posted; "there's a few trolls out there," Brown said, but a lot of quite critical responses do make it in.
"Get real, Jerry," wrote one. "Remember when you were hanging with the Black Panthers and talking about justice? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?"
Others are more encouraging: "It's great that you're blogging. Another in a series of innovative moves."
And some are downright friendly: "I am also diggin' the photo," wrote one admirer about the blog's mugshot of Brown, a stark reminder that the floppy brown hair he sported as governor went the way of disco. "Very Kojak, very sexy."
Are more politicians likely to hear the call of the blog?
Cornfield thinks so.
"I can't imagine that at some point we won't see someone who is to the Internet what JFK was to television and FDR was to radio," he said. "And whoever that person is, he or she is going to have a blog."
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-04-28-brown-blog_x.htm
Friday, April 29, 2005
HU & Lian Communique 胡锦涛与连战会谈新闻公报（全文）
The following article in Mandarin is the Communique issued By both.
It is a historical milestone for the Communist Party of Mainland & Nationalist Party of Taiwan.
The Communique is a significant achievement & reflect the Needs & Wants of the Chinese people.
For the Stability of Taiwan Strait
For the Benefits of the People in both shores
Achieve Peace & Economy Development
Together promote the rich Culture of Chinese
Promote Trades & Agriculture; Fisheries.....
Work together for Anti-Crimes
Workout mechanism for Taiwan to participate in International activities such as WHO
& The plateform for the both parties to exchange views regulary.
Most of these point I have covered in my earlier comments , please refer to the Archives.
I am confident that the late Mr Sun Yat Sun would be glad that his vision of United China is going to be accomplished sooner.
新华网北京４月２９日电 中国共产党总书记胡锦涛与中国国民党主席连战会谈新闻公报，全文如下：
中国共产党总书记胡锦涛与中国国民党主席连战会谈新闻公报
二００五年四月二十九日
应中国共产党中央委员会总书记胡锦涛邀请，中国国民党主席连战率国民党大陆访问团，于二００五年四月二十六日至五月三日访问大陆。这是国共两党一次重要的交流与对话。在两党“正视现实，开创未来”的共同体认下，四月二十九日，胡总书记与连主席在北京举行会谈。双方就促进两岸关系改善和发展的重大问题及两党交往事宜，广泛而深入地交换了意见。这是六十年来国共两党主要领导人首次会谈，具有重大的历史和现实意义。四月二十八日，中共中央政治局常委贾庆林会见了国民党访问团全体成员。两党工作机构负责人进行了工作会谈。基于两党对促进两岸关系和平稳定发展的承诺和对人民利益的关切，胡总书记与连主席决定共同发布“两岸和平发展共同愿景”。全文如下：
五十六年来，两岸在不同的道路上，发展出不同的社会制度与生活方式。十多年前，双方本着善意，在求同存异的基础上，开启协商、对话与民间交流，让两岸关系充满和平的希望与合作的生机。但近年来，两岸互信基础迭遭破坏，两岸关系形势持续恶化。目前两岸关系正处在历史发展的关键点上，两岸不应陷入对抗的恶性循环，而应步入合作的良性循环，共同谋求两岸关系和平稳定发展的机会，互信互助，再造和平双赢的新局面，为中华民族实现光明灿烂的愿景。
两党共同体认到：
━━坚持“九二共识”，反对“台独”，谋求台海和平稳定，促进两岸关系发展，维护两岸同胞利益，是两党的共同主张。
━━促进两岸同胞的交流与往来，共同发扬中华文化，有助于消弭隔阂，增进互信，累积共识。
━━和平与发展是二十一世纪的潮流，两岸关系和平发展符合两岸同胞的共同利益，也符合亚太地区和世界的利益。
两党基于上述体认，共同促进以下工作：
一、促进尽速恢复两岸谈判，共谋两岸人民福祉促进两岸在“九二共识”的基础上尽速恢复平等协商，就双方共同关心和各自关心的问题进行讨论，推进两岸关系良性健康发展。
二、促进终止敌对状态，达成和平协议
促进正式结束两岸敌对状态，达成和平协议，建构两岸关系和平稳定发展的架构，包括建立军事互信机制，避免两岸军事冲突。
三、促进两岸经济全面交流，建立两岸经济合作机制促进两岸展开全面的经济合作，建立密切的经贸合作关系，包括全面、直接、双向“三通”，开放海空直航，加强投资与贸易的往来与保障，进行农渔业合作，解决台湾农产品在大陆的销售问题，改善交流秩序，共同打击犯罪，进而建立稳定的经济合作机制，并促进恢复两岸协商后优先讨论两岸共同市场问题。
四、促进协商台湾民众关心的参与国际活动的问题促进恢复两岸协商后，讨论台湾民众关心的参与国际活动的问题，包括优先讨论参与世界卫生组织活动的问题。双方共同努力，创造条件，逐步寻求最终解决办法。
五、建立党对党定期沟通平台
建立两党定期沟通平台，包括开展不同层级的党务人员互访，进行有关改善两岸关系议题的研讨，举行有关两岸同胞切身利益议题的磋商，邀请各界人士参加，组织商讨密切两岸交流的措施等。
两党希望，这次访问及会谈的成果，有助于增进两岸同胞的福祉，开辟两岸关系新的前景，开创中华民族的未来。（完）
It is a historical milestone for the Communist Party of Mainland & Nationalist Party of Taiwan.
The Communique is a significant achievement & reflect the Needs & Wants of the Chinese people.
For the Stability of Taiwan Strait
For the Benefits of the People in both shores
Achieve Peace & Economy Development
Together promote the rich Culture of Chinese
Promote Trades & Agriculture; Fisheries.....
Work together for Anti-Crimes
Workout mechanism for Taiwan to participate in International activities such as WHO
& The plateform for the both parties to exchange views regulary.
Most of these point I have covered in my earlier comments , please refer to the Archives.
I am confident that the late Mr Sun Yat Sun would be glad that his vision of United China is going to be accomplished sooner.
新华网北京４月２９日电 中国共产党总书记胡锦涛与中国国民党主席连战会谈新闻公报，全文如下：
中国共产党总书记胡锦涛与中国国民党主席连战会谈新闻公报
二００五年四月二十九日
应中国共产党中央委员会总书记胡锦涛邀请，中国国民党主席连战率国民党大陆访问团，于二００五年四月二十六日至五月三日访问大陆。这是国共两党一次重要的交流与对话。在两党“正视现实，开创未来”的共同体认下，四月二十九日，胡总书记与连主席在北京举行会谈。双方就促进两岸关系改善和发展的重大问题及两党交往事宜，广泛而深入地交换了意见。这是六十年来国共两党主要领导人首次会谈，具有重大的历史和现实意义。四月二十八日，中共中央政治局常委贾庆林会见了国民党访问团全体成员。两党工作机构负责人进行了工作会谈。基于两党对促进两岸关系和平稳定发展的承诺和对人民利益的关切，胡总书记与连主席决定共同发布“两岸和平发展共同愿景”。全文如下：
五十六年来，两岸在不同的道路上，发展出不同的社会制度与生活方式。十多年前，双方本着善意，在求同存异的基础上，开启协商、对话与民间交流，让两岸关系充满和平的希望与合作的生机。但近年来，两岸互信基础迭遭破坏，两岸关系形势持续恶化。目前两岸关系正处在历史发展的关键点上，两岸不应陷入对抗的恶性循环，而应步入合作的良性循环，共同谋求两岸关系和平稳定发展的机会，互信互助，再造和平双赢的新局面，为中华民族实现光明灿烂的愿景。
两党共同体认到：
━━坚持“九二共识”，反对“台独”，谋求台海和平稳定，促进两岸关系发展，维护两岸同胞利益，是两党的共同主张。
━━促进两岸同胞的交流与往来，共同发扬中华文化，有助于消弭隔阂，增进互信，累积共识。
━━和平与发展是二十一世纪的潮流，两岸关系和平发展符合两岸同胞的共同利益，也符合亚太地区和世界的利益。
两党基于上述体认，共同促进以下工作：
一、促进尽速恢复两岸谈判，共谋两岸人民福祉促进两岸在“九二共识”的基础上尽速恢复平等协商，就双方共同关心和各自关心的问题进行讨论，推进两岸关系良性健康发展。
二、促进终止敌对状态，达成和平协议
促进正式结束两岸敌对状态，达成和平协议，建构两岸关系和平稳定发展的架构，包括建立军事互信机制，避免两岸军事冲突。
三、促进两岸经济全面交流，建立两岸经济合作机制促进两岸展开全面的经济合作，建立密切的经贸合作关系，包括全面、直接、双向“三通”，开放海空直航，加强投资与贸易的往来与保障，进行农渔业合作，解决台湾农产品在大陆的销售问题，改善交流秩序，共同打击犯罪，进而建立稳定的经济合作机制，并促进恢复两岸协商后优先讨论两岸共同市场问题。
四、促进协商台湾民众关心的参与国际活动的问题促进恢复两岸协商后，讨论台湾民众关心的参与国际活动的问题，包括优先讨论参与世界卫生组织活动的问题。双方共同努力，创造条件，逐步寻求最终解决办法。
五、建立党对党定期沟通平台
建立两党定期沟通平台，包括开展不同层级的党务人员互访，进行有关改善两岸关系议题的研讨，举行有关两岸同胞切身利益议题的磋商，邀请各界人士参加，组织商讨密切两岸交流的措施等。
两党希望，这次访问及会谈的成果，有助于增进两岸同胞的福祉，开辟两岸关系新的前景，开创中华民族的未来。（完）
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Historical Meeting - Hu & Lian 胡连会晤载入史册 真诚沟通两岸必将和平
This is the Historical event for Both Communist Party of Mainland & Nationalist Party of Taiwan.
It is good for the Chinese People, Chinese Race & bring Peace to the World!!
More report would be follows!!
胡连会晤载入史册 真诚沟通两岸必将和平
这是一个必将载入史册的春天。对全球华人来说，胡锦涛主席和连战会晤无疑是历史性事件。岁月轮回，60年后，国共两党最高领导人终于实现了历史性的握手。对中国国民党主席连战的来访，大陆表达了足够的诚意，这种诚意来自于官方，也来自于民间，还有各路传媒。
连战来访，有关部门从安全保卫，到所吃之物、所游之地，都做了精心布置、细致准备。并且，接待连战的规格之高，让世人瞩目。所有这些，都表明了大陆对连战来访的重视，更表明了官方的极大诚意。
南京市民打出“连哥你好”的标语，无疑表达了来自民间最朴实最真挚的情感。大陆和台湾本就是血脉相连，一母同胞，兄弟之间无论有过多少恩怨，无论有过多深的隔阂，终究是兄弟，血浓于水，没有谁可以割断两岸人民的感情链条。
日渐发达的两岸三地传媒，对连战来访投入了巨大精力，数百名内地记者的长枪短炮，国家级传媒的现场直播，不仅可以解读为传媒的激情与敬业，更是传递了社会各界对两岸和平的期盼与愿望。
所有这一切的一切诚意，不仅仅是针对连战先生和国民党代表团，更是大陆人民对于和平与统一的渴望。一湾浅浅的海峡，隔断了两岸近60年的沟通与互动，不仅是中国的遗憾，也是历史的遗憾。但是，两岸人民交往、沟通、互动的内在冲动永远存在，任何蕃蓠都不能阻挡。胡锦涛对台工作新讲话所释放的巨大诚意，使得两岸交流的空间骤然加大，终于打破僵局，使“相见”没有“再晚”。
邓小平在上个世纪八十年代就曾说过，问题的核心是祖国统一，但不是我吃掉你，也不是你吃掉我。我们希望国共两党共同完成民族统一，大家都对中华民族作出贡献。
在海峡两岸关系高度敏感时期，从破冰之旅到和平之旅，国共两党间的这次历史性握手，是对中华民族的巨大贡献，让两岸人民和全球华人看到了和平的曙光。而这曙光，就在眼前，就在今天。
It is good for the Chinese People, Chinese Race & bring Peace to the World!!
More report would be follows!!
胡连会晤载入史册 真诚沟通两岸必将和平
这是一个必将载入史册的春天。对全球华人来说，胡锦涛主席和连战会晤无疑是历史性事件。岁月轮回，60年后，国共两党最高领导人终于实现了历史性的握手。对中国国民党主席连战的来访，大陆表达了足够的诚意，这种诚意来自于官方，也来自于民间，还有各路传媒。
连战来访，有关部门从安全保卫，到所吃之物、所游之地，都做了精心布置、细致准备。并且，接待连战的规格之高，让世人瞩目。所有这些，都表明了大陆对连战来访的重视，更表明了官方的极大诚意。
南京市民打出“连哥你好”的标语，无疑表达了来自民间最朴实最真挚的情感。大陆和台湾本就是血脉相连，一母同胞，兄弟之间无论有过多少恩怨，无论有过多深的隔阂，终究是兄弟，血浓于水，没有谁可以割断两岸人民的感情链条。
日渐发达的两岸三地传媒，对连战来访投入了巨大精力，数百名内地记者的长枪短炮，国家级传媒的现场直播，不仅可以解读为传媒的激情与敬业，更是传递了社会各界对两岸和平的期盼与愿望。
所有这一切的一切诚意，不仅仅是针对连战先生和国民党代表团，更是大陆人民对于和平与统一的渴望。一湾浅浅的海峡，隔断了两岸近60年的沟通与互动，不仅是中国的遗憾，也是历史的遗憾。但是，两岸人民交往、沟通、互动的内在冲动永远存在，任何蕃蓠都不能阻挡。胡锦涛对台工作新讲话所释放的巨大诚意，使得两岸交流的空间骤然加大，终于打破僵局，使“相见”没有“再晚”。
邓小平在上个世纪八十年代就曾说过，问题的核心是祖国统一，但不是我吃掉你，也不是你吃掉我。我们希望国共两党共同完成民族统一，大家都对中华民族作出贡献。
在海峡两岸关系高度敏感时期，从破冰之旅到和平之旅，国共两党间的这次历史性握手，是对中华民族的巨大贡献，让两岸人民和全球华人看到了和平的曙光。而这曙光，就在眼前，就在今天。
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Fishing Man Become Prime Minister
Yes!! There Are 2 persons that I am awared off from full-time Fishing as his hobby, then later become the Prime Minister of the Country.
1. Jiang Tai Gong in The Western Zhou Dynasty (11 century - 770BC)
2. Abdullah Badawi, The current Prime Minister of Malaysia. Whom I personally know.
So Stay In tune...
1. Jiang Tai Gong in The Western Zhou Dynasty (11 century - 770BC)
2. Abdullah Badawi, The current Prime Minister of Malaysia. Whom I personally know.
So Stay In tune...
Monday, April 11, 2005
Structure of Leaf
What is The Wisdom Behind??
That You Can Get From A Palm Leaf??
From A Single Stem, Branching It Out to the Directions,
Original from One!!
Can You See The Universes Is Actually:
0 & 1
That You Can Get From A Palm Leaf??
From A Single Stem, Branching It Out to the Directions,
Original from One!!
Can You See The Universes Is Actually:
0 & 1
Thursday, April 07, 2005
The Police State: Agents of the Police Statepapers
This is A interesting article, although the news is not new to me.
It is known that the Singapore system is totally difference from the world. It is neither so call the communism nor Democracy as what people look it from the outset. From the surface, it is following the British democracy & having the English as the most commonly prefered language in the Business world & government establishments. The Educations system also have naturely due to the colonial educations system influence those day, the Baby bloomer's parents who have foresight naturally had send their Kids to the so call English Stream School. So as to warrant their kids have a brighter future.
In order for their baby bloomers generations.. so in the 70-90's there is no more so call the difference between English School or Chinese School. It is either English as 1st Language or ...
In the 1960's - 1970's there are still a big populations from so call Chinese School. Therefore, Chinese News paper are still selling well. After Singapore independent from Malaysia - 1965. Lee Kuan Yew then the Prime Minister have ordered the integration of Press & also foreclosed those so call the Chinese school's as the secret police reported that the high tendency of Communist influence & insurgency are actually from those people with the Chinese education background.
On the other hand, those western correspondance have written articles, that deem to be not of the interest of Singapore are expelled. The one & only Chinese Unviversity is also closed. Many of the Graduate from the Chinese University, if they don't improve on their command of English.. there may landed in some job not better then those just have the Junior college qualification of USA.
Lee as the father of Singapore. He did alots of Bad but he did alots of Good things as well.. To understand his Power & Politics in Governing Singapore, you can always read the 1st book "The Singapore Way", Also the news Paper Archives & interviews of his advisor a Dutch national by origin - Alex Jose.
Now looking into the figure Head of State; the President of Singapore, a few Singapore past preesident's are either Juornalist or Senior Executives of the Press, be it the malay or The Straits Times (Which is the Government control/ influence company from the British colony). That includes, Yusof Ishak, Devan Nair, Wee Kim Hui! Even the Minister's there are numbers of them are from the press. You see that his cabinet, Minister in the cabinet such as Ek Jun Tong, Rahim Ishak ( Brother of the 1st President), Lim Kim San....
Singapore system is Lee KY Creation & is very Unique, therefore, Leeism, it is not the British system nor the Chinese system. So if anyone observe, attempt to equate Singapore pre-dominant Chinese population culture with the China Culture would be totally wrong...Read More..
Agents of the Police State
Recommended Article: Climate Control in the Singapore Press (Kudos to Steven, who added an extension regarding the criteria of being an elite in Singapore)
Although I was quite well-aware some former intelligence officers worked in the national press, I had no idea of their prevalence.
"Cheong, 57, has been with the paper since 1963. He's proud of the paper and its contribution to modern Singapore. And he's proud, too, of the former intelligence operatives in his newsroom.
There's Chua Lee Hoong, the ST's most prominent political columnist. She might be Singapore's Maureen Dowd, except The New York Times's Dowd didn't work with the secret police for nine years. There's Irene Ho on the foreign desk. She was also an "analyst" with Singapore's intelligence services. So, says Cheong, was Susan Sim, his Jakarta correspondent.
And there's Cheong's boss, Tjong Yik Min. From 1986 to 1993, Tjong was Singapore's most senior secret policeman, running the much feared Internal Security Department, a relic of colonial Britain's insecurities about communism in its Asian empire. Now Tjong is a media mogul, the executive president of SPH, Singapore's virtual print media giant, which controls all but one of the country's newspapers."
There is also of course the juicy bit, that describes how efficient they are in framing the national ideology and boundaries of debate and issues.
"But Chua is not coy. "I'm not ashamed about [being ex-ISD]."
Chua is a classic example of the system working for Singaporeans, and Singaporeans paying it back. The Government sent her to Oxford University for a degree in politics, philosophy and economics. Her pro-government columns are perceived by analysts as insights into official thinking. "Is the ST a government mouthpiece?" she asks, then answers herself: "Yes . . . and no".
It's not China's People's Daily, Chua insists. "The key editors are not government appointees or necessarily [the ruling] People's Action Party members but they are loyalists in a general sense. It's true of every major institution in Singapore."
Chua admits Singaporean journalists self-censor – "they do everywhere," she says – but "editorial interference" is too strong a term to describe the input of authorities. "It's much more subtle than that. I would say we are sometimes, but not often these days, reminded to be mindful of the boundaries."
Chua brings to her commentary "certain basic assumptions" about Singapore's national interest. It so happens they often accord with the Government and its over-arching demands of its people.
The Police State: Agents of the Police State
It is known that the Singapore system is totally difference from the world. It is neither so call the communism nor Democracy as what people look it from the outset. From the surface, it is following the British democracy & having the English as the most commonly prefered language in the Business world & government establishments. The Educations system also have naturely due to the colonial educations system influence those day, the Baby bloomer's parents who have foresight naturally had send their Kids to the so call English Stream School. So as to warrant their kids have a brighter future.
In order for their baby bloomers generations.. so in the 70-90's there is no more so call the difference between English School or Chinese School. It is either English as 1st Language or ...
In the 1960's - 1970's there are still a big populations from so call Chinese School. Therefore, Chinese News paper are still selling well. After Singapore independent from Malaysia - 1965. Lee Kuan Yew then the Prime Minister have ordered the integration of Press & also foreclosed those so call the Chinese school's as the secret police reported that the high tendency of Communist influence & insurgency are actually from those people with the Chinese education background.
On the other hand, those western correspondance have written articles, that deem to be not of the interest of Singapore are expelled. The one & only Chinese Unviversity is also closed. Many of the Graduate from the Chinese University, if they don't improve on their command of English.. there may landed in some job not better then those just have the Junior college qualification of USA.
Lee as the father of Singapore. He did alots of Bad but he did alots of Good things as well.. To understand his Power & Politics in Governing Singapore, you can always read the 1st book "The Singapore Way", Also the news Paper Archives & interviews of his advisor a Dutch national by origin - Alex Jose.
Now looking into the figure Head of State; the President of Singapore, a few Singapore past preesident's are either Juornalist or Senior Executives of the Press, be it the malay or The Straits Times (Which is the Government control/ influence company from the British colony). That includes, Yusof Ishak, Devan Nair, Wee Kim Hui! Even the Minister's there are numbers of them are from the press. You see that his cabinet, Minister in the cabinet such as Ek Jun Tong, Rahim Ishak ( Brother of the 1st President), Lim Kim San....
Singapore system is Lee KY Creation & is very Unique, therefore, Leeism, it is not the British system nor the Chinese system. So if anyone observe, attempt to equate Singapore pre-dominant Chinese population culture with the China Culture would be totally wrong...Read More..
Agents of the Police State
Recommended Article: Climate Control in the Singapore Press (Kudos to Steven, who added an extension regarding the criteria of being an elite in Singapore)
Although I was quite well-aware some former intelligence officers worked in the national press, I had no idea of their prevalence.
"Cheong, 57, has been with the paper since 1963. He's proud of the paper and its contribution to modern Singapore. And he's proud, too, of the former intelligence operatives in his newsroom.
There's Chua Lee Hoong, the ST's most prominent political columnist. She might be Singapore's Maureen Dowd, except The New York Times's Dowd didn't work with the secret police for nine years. There's Irene Ho on the foreign desk. She was also an "analyst" with Singapore's intelligence services. So, says Cheong, was Susan Sim, his Jakarta correspondent.
And there's Cheong's boss, Tjong Yik Min. From 1986 to 1993, Tjong was Singapore's most senior secret policeman, running the much feared Internal Security Department, a relic of colonial Britain's insecurities about communism in its Asian empire. Now Tjong is a media mogul, the executive president of SPH, Singapore's virtual print media giant, which controls all but one of the country's newspapers."
There is also of course the juicy bit, that describes how efficient they are in framing the national ideology and boundaries of debate and issues.
"But Chua is not coy. "I'm not ashamed about [being ex-ISD]."
Chua is a classic example of the system working for Singaporeans, and Singaporeans paying it back. The Government sent her to Oxford University for a degree in politics, philosophy and economics. Her pro-government columns are perceived by analysts as insights into official thinking. "Is the ST a government mouthpiece?" she asks, then answers herself: "Yes . . . and no".
It's not China's People's Daily, Chua insists. "The key editors are not government appointees or necessarily [the ruling] People's Action Party members but they are loyalists in a general sense. It's true of every major institution in Singapore."
Chua admits Singaporean journalists self-censor – "they do everywhere," she says – but "editorial interference" is too strong a term to describe the input of authorities. "It's much more subtle than that. I would say we are sometimes, but not often these days, reminded to be mindful of the boundaries."
Chua brings to her commentary "certain basic assumptions" about Singapore's national interest. It so happens they often accord with the Government and its over-arching demands of its people.
The Police State: Agents of the Police State
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Thai PM Thaksin's Could Be In Danger!!
Fabio Scrapello could be right "Thaksin Could Be Played by fire!!"
I have monitor the Thailand politics & economy since the mid 60's.
My observations is that Thailand Politics, the day to day operation is control by the Prime Minister & his cabinet. The stability of the Nations is mainly influenceby the Police & the Military General's.
The Royal Thai Kingdom for the past history have been modelling after the China Emperor Court system. Which the king is the supreme commander in the Kingdom. Although for these years of change. In the outlook the Prime Minister & it's cabinet is running the country. The King is more a less a ceremonial figure.
But because of the rich history, religion & culture. The King is still a most important or Supreme figure in the heart of the Thai people.
Between, mid 60's till now, I have witness many military coup's that took the power. & Finally when the King step in & ordered the General's to return the power to their Parliment & return the Democracy to the people.
Thasin is consider very fortunate that after the Last economy downtown , with the guranty purchase order from China. Their Economy is more healthy then anytime in the history.
Thasin may think that using the Military power to enlarge his power base. But that would also invoke the ill feeling of the Police force as well. Then the Parliment could be divied by the 3 groups of infleunce. Namely the People The Military & the Police. Then the equilibrium that built since 1992 would be broken.
With the Aging of the King, the situation may not be as simple to control then before. If the Military General's set another coup!! So the result is beyond imagine.
My opinions is Thaksin should re-think his strategies in the power play. & using the Military Power to his cabinet. Go further to strengthen the economy.. provide food & shelter to his fellow Thai's. Build Thailand as the Nirvana for their citizen. Then he shall be respected like a living Buddha.
Thaksin's power play with Thai generals
By Fabio Scarpello
Thai politics have always been characterized by a close association between the country's military and its politicians. But under the administration of business tycoon turned politician, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, that relationship has changed. Where before the generals held the reigns of power, the prime minister is now calling the shots and has integrated the military into his power base. Analysts who were hoping for a de-politicization of the armed forces fear long-term negative consequences.
There seem to be no limits to Thaksin's power. Re-elected in February by an overwhelming majority to an unprecedented second consecutive term in office, he sits comfortably at the helm of the country with full control over the parliament and cabinet, the latter filled with members of his inner circle. But the prime minister's influence extends much further, encompassing big businesses, bureaucrats, politicians, most of the media, the police and - crucially - the armed forces.
At first glance, the link between Thaksin and the military is nothing new in Thailand, where politicians and generals have always stood shoulder to shoulder. Yet scraping the surface only slightly, it becomes apparent that the current association is made from a different mold. The difference is the shift in the balance of power, which has slipped away from the generals and now - for the first time - lies firmly with the prime minister.
To say that the army has dictated the political tempo in Thailand is an understatement. Historical records tell of 17 coups or attempted coups since 1932 and of generals occupying the prime minister's seat for all but eight years between 1938 and 1988. Furthermore, whenever not in power, the military had been the main force behind most of the civilian leaders who preceded the current prime minister.
The situation is different with Thaksin, who despite training at a military cadet school and serving as a policeman for a few years, entered politics as a civilian and has been legitimized by two democratic elections. Moreover, Thaksin's ascent has coincided with probably the weakest period of the army in modern Thai history.
The military began losing ground in the political arena in the late 1980s, but the turning point in the civilian-military relationship was the violent civilian resistance of May 1992, which brought an end to Thailand's last military regime. The resulting pro-reform movement, culminating with the drafting of the 1997 constitution, cornered the generals' political aspirations and threatened the army's status and its main financial resources. As a consequence, the military had no option but to lie low and partially de-politicize. This trend was interrupted, however, in 2001, when Thaksin was first elected premier.
In this position, Thaksin carved a new role in society for the generals and secured the army's financial resources, halting its decline. Both moves won him favor among most high-ranking officers. The prime minister also set out to transform the country's three armed forces - the Royal Thai Army, the navy and the air force - into another branch of his power base. The approach he used to achieve such a goal involved meddling with the military's internal promotions.
Making over the military
When Thaksin became prime minister, the military lacked a clear role. With the communist threat long gone and without any immediate foreign threat, the military had difficulties in claiming a special role in society and was somehow squeezed out of the limelight by the democratization movement that pressed for its de-politicization. The new situation was in stark contrast to the previous 50 years, during which the military was wrapped up in an aura of reverence and generals were offered senior positions in government agencies.
Thaksin filled the vacuum by using the army to flank the police in dealing with civil issues. Under the current administration, the army has been called upon to deal with protests in rural areas and to play a pivotal role in the "war on drugs" and the "war on dark influences" begun in 2003. The army is currently involved in the predominantly Muslim provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, where civilian unrest has flared since January 2004.
In addition, Thaksin stepped in to ease the chronic surplus of generals in the Thai army by offering "high influential advisory governmental positions" to more then 50 of them. The prime minister has also restored the army's influence over the country's foreign policy - another area in which it had previously been losing ground.
Likewise, Thaksin's rise to power found the armed forces struggling to hold on to their main sources of finance. The share of the national budget allocated to the military had shrunk gradually from 18%, allocated in the 1980s, to about 11-12% in the mid-1990s and 9% in 1999-2000. Even more dangerous for the army was the instruction laid down by the 1997 constitution that called for Thailand's radio and television frequencies to be placed under public management. Such a change meant that the army was in line to lose its main source of income, namely its control over roughly 200 radio frequencies and television Channel 5.
Since 2001, Thaksin has increased the military budget, lifted the embargo on military procurements that had been in place since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and approved the entire army's spending list for the 2005-13 period. With Thaksin in power, the army has also managed to hold on to its radio frequencies.
Hidden dangers in controlling the military
Regenerating the armed forces' status and securing its financial resources were important means for Thaksin to secure the generals' gratitude, but what turned the military into another part of Thaksin's power base was the relentless meddling with its internal promotions.
In the past four years, Thaksin has pushed some members of his own family and no fewer then 35 of his former cadet-school classmates, collectively know as "Class 10", up the seniority ladder in the army and, to a lesser extent, in the navy and the air force. In doing so, he has shaped a powerful new clique that owes a lot to him and little to ability and seniority. The generals' gratitude translates into open support for Thaksin.
Among the beneficiaries of Thaksin's patronage, Chaisit Shinawatra, one of Thaksin's cousins, deserves special mention.
From August 2001 (the first military reshuffle under Thaksin) to August 2003, Chaisit shot to the very top of the army's hierarchy. In rapid succession he was promoted to lieutenant-general (2001), full general (2002) and then army commander (2003). His meteoric rise - as noted at the time by several military experts - would have been impossible without political connections. Last August, Chaisit was pushed into the highly ceremonial role of armed forces supreme commander, after his failure to ease separatist tensions in the troubled south and his involvement in Channel 5's controversial plan to be listed on the Thai stock exchange.
Some analysts have argued that Thaksin is playing with fire with his military meddling and say he not only risks burning his fingers but might set the whole house ablaze.
"The re-politicization of the military is very dangerous for Thailand and for Thaksin himself; he cannot handle it," said Professor Ukrist Pathmanand, assistant director of the Institute of Asian Studies at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University and co-author of the book The Thaksinization of Thailand.
Part of what worries Professor Pathmanand - and a few others - is that by allowing Class 10 to dominate the armed forces, Thaksin has opened the door to the risk of another military coup. In his book, Pathmanand noted that some of Thailand's past military coups - Class 7 or "The Young Turks" in 1977, attempts in 1981 and 1985 and Class 5 in 1991- were the direct consequence of a specific military-class supremacy.
"It has happened before and it could happen again," Pathmanand said.
Other critics, including Suriyasai Katasila, secretary general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, fear that by allowing his friends to leapfrog the seniority ladder, Thaksin has created a larger and more unhappy layer of generals. Such a situation, they argue, could lead to a takeover, especially if the socio-political situation in the country were to change.
"Thaksin has interfered too much with the promotion of his peers in the military," Suriyasai said.
Although the logic behind both analyses stands, it must be noticed that Thaksin's current grip on power and the lessons of history have made the eventuality of another "successful" military coup in Thailand a slim possibility - as noted by Abhisit Vejjajiva, deputy leader of the Democrat Party, in an interview in late December.
Asia Times Online :: Southeast Asia news and business from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam
I have monitor the Thailand politics & economy since the mid 60's.
My observations is that Thailand Politics, the day to day operation is control by the Prime Minister & his cabinet. The stability of the Nations is mainly influenceby the Police & the Military General's.
The Royal Thai Kingdom for the past history have been modelling after the China Emperor Court system. Which the king is the supreme commander in the Kingdom. Although for these years of change. In the outlook the Prime Minister & it's cabinet is running the country. The King is more a less a ceremonial figure.
But because of the rich history, religion & culture. The King is still a most important or Supreme figure in the heart of the Thai people.
Between, mid 60's till now, I have witness many military coup's that took the power. & Finally when the King step in & ordered the General's to return the power to their Parliment & return the Democracy to the people.
Thasin is consider very fortunate that after the Last economy downtown , with the guranty purchase order from China. Their Economy is more healthy then anytime in the history.
Thasin may think that using the Military power to enlarge his power base. But that would also invoke the ill feeling of the Police force as well. Then the Parliment could be divied by the 3 groups of infleunce. Namely the People The Military & the Police. Then the equilibrium that built since 1992 would be broken.
With the Aging of the King, the situation may not be as simple to control then before. If the Military General's set another coup!! So the result is beyond imagine.
My opinions is Thaksin should re-think his strategies in the power play. & using the Military Power to his cabinet. Go further to strengthen the economy.. provide food & shelter to his fellow Thai's. Build Thailand as the Nirvana for their citizen. Then he shall be respected like a living Buddha.
Thaksin's power play with Thai generals
By Fabio Scarpello
Thai politics have always been characterized by a close association between the country's military and its politicians. But under the administration of business tycoon turned politician, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, that relationship has changed. Where before the generals held the reigns of power, the prime minister is now calling the shots and has integrated the military into his power base. Analysts who were hoping for a de-politicization of the armed forces fear long-term negative consequences.
There seem to be no limits to Thaksin's power. Re-elected in February by an overwhelming majority to an unprecedented second consecutive term in office, he sits comfortably at the helm of the country with full control over the parliament and cabinet, the latter filled with members of his inner circle. But the prime minister's influence extends much further, encompassing big businesses, bureaucrats, politicians, most of the media, the police and - crucially - the armed forces.
At first glance, the link between Thaksin and the military is nothing new in Thailand, where politicians and generals have always stood shoulder to shoulder. Yet scraping the surface only slightly, it becomes apparent that the current association is made from a different mold. The difference is the shift in the balance of power, which has slipped away from the generals and now - for the first time - lies firmly with the prime minister.
To say that the army has dictated the political tempo in Thailand is an understatement. Historical records tell of 17 coups or attempted coups since 1932 and of generals occupying the prime minister's seat for all but eight years between 1938 and 1988. Furthermore, whenever not in power, the military had been the main force behind most of the civilian leaders who preceded the current prime minister.
The situation is different with Thaksin, who despite training at a military cadet school and serving as a policeman for a few years, entered politics as a civilian and has been legitimized by two democratic elections. Moreover, Thaksin's ascent has coincided with probably the weakest period of the army in modern Thai history.
The military began losing ground in the political arena in the late 1980s, but the turning point in the civilian-military relationship was the violent civilian resistance of May 1992, which brought an end to Thailand's last military regime. The resulting pro-reform movement, culminating with the drafting of the 1997 constitution, cornered the generals' political aspirations and threatened the army's status and its main financial resources. As a consequence, the military had no option but to lie low and partially de-politicize. This trend was interrupted, however, in 2001, when Thaksin was first elected premier.
In this position, Thaksin carved a new role in society for the generals and secured the army's financial resources, halting its decline. Both moves won him favor among most high-ranking officers. The prime minister also set out to transform the country's three armed forces - the Royal Thai Army, the navy and the air force - into another branch of his power base. The approach he used to achieve such a goal involved meddling with the military's internal promotions.
Making over the military
When Thaksin became prime minister, the military lacked a clear role. With the communist threat long gone and without any immediate foreign threat, the military had difficulties in claiming a special role in society and was somehow squeezed out of the limelight by the democratization movement that pressed for its de-politicization. The new situation was in stark contrast to the previous 50 years, during which the military was wrapped up in an aura of reverence and generals were offered senior positions in government agencies.
Thaksin filled the vacuum by using the army to flank the police in dealing with civil issues. Under the current administration, the army has been called upon to deal with protests in rural areas and to play a pivotal role in the "war on drugs" and the "war on dark influences" begun in 2003. The army is currently involved in the predominantly Muslim provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, where civilian unrest has flared since January 2004.
In addition, Thaksin stepped in to ease the chronic surplus of generals in the Thai army by offering "high influential advisory governmental positions" to more then 50 of them. The prime minister has also restored the army's influence over the country's foreign policy - another area in which it had previously been losing ground.
Likewise, Thaksin's rise to power found the armed forces struggling to hold on to their main sources of finance. The share of the national budget allocated to the military had shrunk gradually from 18%, allocated in the 1980s, to about 11-12% in the mid-1990s and 9% in 1999-2000. Even more dangerous for the army was the instruction laid down by the 1997 constitution that called for Thailand's radio and television frequencies to be placed under public management. Such a change meant that the army was in line to lose its main source of income, namely its control over roughly 200 radio frequencies and television Channel 5.
Since 2001, Thaksin has increased the military budget, lifted the embargo on military procurements that had been in place since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and approved the entire army's spending list for the 2005-13 period. With Thaksin in power, the army has also managed to hold on to its radio frequencies.
Hidden dangers in controlling the military
Regenerating the armed forces' status and securing its financial resources were important means for Thaksin to secure the generals' gratitude, but what turned the military into another part of Thaksin's power base was the relentless meddling with its internal promotions.
In the past four years, Thaksin has pushed some members of his own family and no fewer then 35 of his former cadet-school classmates, collectively know as "Class 10", up the seniority ladder in the army and, to a lesser extent, in the navy and the air force. In doing so, he has shaped a powerful new clique that owes a lot to him and little to ability and seniority. The generals' gratitude translates into open support for Thaksin.
Among the beneficiaries of Thaksin's patronage, Chaisit Shinawatra, one of Thaksin's cousins, deserves special mention.
From August 2001 (the first military reshuffle under Thaksin) to August 2003, Chaisit shot to the very top of the army's hierarchy. In rapid succession he was promoted to lieutenant-general (2001), full general (2002) and then army commander (2003). His meteoric rise - as noted at the time by several military experts - would have been impossible without political connections. Last August, Chaisit was pushed into the highly ceremonial role of armed forces supreme commander, after his failure to ease separatist tensions in the troubled south and his involvement in Channel 5's controversial plan to be listed on the Thai stock exchange.
Some analysts have argued that Thaksin is playing with fire with his military meddling and say he not only risks burning his fingers but might set the whole house ablaze.
"The re-politicization of the military is very dangerous for Thailand and for Thaksin himself; he cannot handle it," said Professor Ukrist Pathmanand, assistant director of the Institute of Asian Studies at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University and co-author of the book The Thaksinization of Thailand.
Part of what worries Professor Pathmanand - and a few others - is that by allowing Class 10 to dominate the armed forces, Thaksin has opened the door to the risk of another military coup. In his book, Pathmanand noted that some of Thailand's past military coups - Class 7 or "The Young Turks" in 1977, attempts in 1981 and 1985 and Class 5 in 1991- were the direct consequence of a specific military-class supremacy.
"It has happened before and it could happen again," Pathmanand said.
Other critics, including Suriyasai Katasila, secretary general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, fear that by allowing his friends to leapfrog the seniority ladder, Thaksin has created a larger and more unhappy layer of generals. Such a situation, they argue, could lead to a takeover, especially if the socio-political situation in the country were to change.
"Thaksin has interfered too much with the promotion of his peers in the military," Suriyasai said.
Although the logic behind both analyses stands, it must be noticed that Thaksin's current grip on power and the lessons of history have made the eventuality of another "successful" military coup in Thailand a slim possibility - as noted by Abhisit Vejjajiva, deputy leader of the Democrat Party, in an interview in late December.
Asia Times Online :: Southeast Asia news and business from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam
Monday, April 04, 2005
X - Mr Internet - Gore TV Network to Launch in August, Google Tie-In
In 1994-2000, Al Gore is known as Mr Internet.
As the Founder/Intitiator of the Non-for-Profit Organization for Asia Pacific to promote eCommerce & eBusiness. Since Gore is the Patron of the organization. I invited him to inaugurate the Corporation Openning in Singapore. He did not respond, not even given a written citation. At least his Boss Bill Clinton did send a letter of Commemorating the Occassion.
In fact, I am on the honorary position in the mentioned organization. Devote my time & resources to promote the Leadership of the eEconomy.
Now, Al Gore is the Chairman of the "Current" channel & the
Giant of Search Engine
partnership, & their foundation of success is laid.
My opinion's about these TV network should be of Righteous Spirits, the views must be impartial; take no bias on any side. Politics is a
Believe;
Religion;
Dream;
& Most importantly is Power!!
It is hard to believe that A person so much into his believe can give a impartial views in his daily life. Even in reality he would remind himself that he shpould be impartial. But as he is still in the infleuncial role in his respective political party. His soul & his sub-conscious mind would not allow him to do so to against his party or his religion.
My suggestion is that Google would have to enlarge the partnership with other political parties in these country so as to get the equal representations in running the "Current" Channel as an impartial TV network & service to the people between the age group of 18-34!!!!!. Not to Mis-Lead!!
Gore TV Network to Launch in August, Google Tie-In
Mon Apr 4, 5:31 PM ET By Jeremy Pelofsky
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore on Monday unveiled his new television network, "Current," which aims to attract younger viewers with short videos and a tie-in with the popular Google Inc. search engine.
The network plans to debut on Aug. 1 and be available to 19 million subscription television viewers, Gore said at a news conference at the cable industry's annual convention. Gore led an investment group that last May bought the network from Vivendi Universal for an undisclosed sum.
The channel will show professionally produced segments as well as viewer-produced videos mostly short in length, running from a few seconds to up to 15 minutes.
"We are about empowering this generation of young people in their 20s, the 18-34 population, to engage in a dialogue of democracy and to tell their stories about what's going in their lives in the dominant media of our time," he said.
Viewers will also be able to vote for their favorite videos and get tutorials via the Internet on how to produce their own segments, according to network officials.
"We're starting something new and we're trying to bring about a change in the way the television medium is used," said Gore. "We know it's hard, but we're excited about trying."
In addition to the videos, the new network reached a pact with the search firm to include Google data on the most popular Web searches.
The deal came despite early skepticism from Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google, the No. 1 Web search engine that earlier this year stepped into the realm of entertainment by releasing a test video search service that pulls up still shots from such content providers as Fox News, PBS and the NBA.
When first approached, "I thought it would be an extraordinarily challenging endeavor," Brin said. "Having seen some of the work they've now put together, I think it's an extraordinary opportunity."
Google did not disclose the terms of the deal. Brin said the company is providing specialized data from its Zeitgeist service, which tracks search patterns and trends.
Gore, who lost the 2000 election in a bitter contest with current President Bush, seemed to have put politics behind him, insisting the channel would not be a liberal pulpit.
"We have no intention of being a Democratic channel, a liberal channel, or a TV version of Air America, that's not what we're all about," he said, referring to the liberal radio network.
Gore serves as chairman of the board of that channel.
The network said its financial backers included Rob Glaser, chief executive of RealNetworks Inc., Bob Pittman who helped create the popular MTV networks and Joel Hyatt, who is chief executive of the network and built a network of legal services clinics.
Network officials said they were trying to expand the viewer base, but acknowledged that lining up more cable systems was not easy.
So far, they have agreements involving DirecTV's "Total Choice" tier, as well as in certain markets operated by Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Inc. .
(Additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein in San Francisco)
Yahoo! News - Gore TV Network to Launch in August, Google Tie-In
As the Founder/Intitiator of the Non-for-Profit Organization for Asia Pacific to promote eCommerce & eBusiness. Since Gore is the Patron of the organization. I invited him to inaugurate the Corporation Openning in Singapore. He did not respond, not even given a written citation. At least his Boss Bill Clinton did send a letter of Commemorating the Occassion.
In fact, I am on the honorary position in the mentioned organization. Devote my time & resources to promote the Leadership of the eEconomy.
Now, Al Gore is the Chairman of the "Current" channel & the
Giant of Search Engine
partnership, & their foundation of success is laid.
My opinion's about these TV network should be of Righteous Spirits, the views must be impartial; take no bias on any side. Politics is a
Believe;
Religion;
Dream;
& Most importantly is Power!!
It is hard to believe that A person so much into his believe can give a impartial views in his daily life. Even in reality he would remind himself that he shpould be impartial. But as he is still in the infleuncial role in his respective political party. His soul & his sub-conscious mind would not allow him to do so to against his party or his religion.
My suggestion is that Google would have to enlarge the partnership with other political parties in these country so as to get the equal representations in running the "Current" Channel as an impartial TV network & service to the people between the age group of 18-34!!!!!. Not to Mis-Lead!!
Gore TV Network to Launch in August, Google Tie-In
Mon Apr 4, 5:31 PM ET By Jeremy Pelofsky
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore on Monday unveiled his new television network, "Current," which aims to attract younger viewers with short videos and a tie-in with the popular Google Inc. search engine.
The network plans to debut on Aug. 1 and be available to 19 million subscription television viewers, Gore said at a news conference at the cable industry's annual convention. Gore led an investment group that last May bought the network from Vivendi Universal for an undisclosed sum.
The channel will show professionally produced segments as well as viewer-produced videos mostly short in length, running from a few seconds to up to 15 minutes.
"We are about empowering this generation of young people in their 20s, the 18-34 population, to engage in a dialogue of democracy and to tell their stories about what's going in their lives in the dominant media of our time," he said.
Viewers will also be able to vote for their favorite videos and get tutorials via the Internet on how to produce their own segments, according to network officials.
"We're starting something new and we're trying to bring about a change in the way the television medium is used," said Gore. "We know it's hard, but we're excited about trying."
In addition to the videos, the new network reached a pact with the search firm to include Google data on the most popular Web searches.
The deal came despite early skepticism from Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google, the No. 1 Web search engine that earlier this year stepped into the realm of entertainment by releasing a test video search service that pulls up still shots from such content providers as Fox News, PBS and the NBA.
When first approached, "I thought it would be an extraordinarily challenging endeavor," Brin said. "Having seen some of the work they've now put together, I think it's an extraordinary opportunity."
Google did not disclose the terms of the deal. Brin said the company is providing specialized data from its Zeitgeist service, which tracks search patterns and trends.
Gore, who lost the 2000 election in a bitter contest with current President Bush, seemed to have put politics behind him, insisting the channel would not be a liberal pulpit.
"We have no intention of being a Democratic channel, a liberal channel, or a TV version of Air America, that's not what we're all about," he said, referring to the liberal radio network.
Gore serves as chairman of the board of that channel.
The network said its financial backers included Rob Glaser, chief executive of RealNetworks Inc., Bob Pittman who helped create the popular MTV networks and Joel Hyatt, who is chief executive of the network and built a network of legal services clinics.
Network officials said they were trying to expand the viewer base, but acknowledged that lining up more cable systems was not easy.
So far, they have agreements involving DirecTV's "Total Choice" tier, as well as in certain markets operated by Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Inc. .
(Additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein in San Francisco)
Yahoo! News - Gore TV Network to Launch in August, Google Tie-In
Saturday, April 02, 2005
10 Big Tax Breaks for The Rest of Us - However, The Tax System Need To Revamp Totally!!
At least in this country. You need to educate yourself for the Tax system. Be knowledgement about it .
I agreed that Tax-Advantaged Investments help create new businesses & New Jobs. News Jobs would Produce More PayChecks, & those additional paychecks produce more Taxes in the long term future.
However, I am in the opinion that the world of Income Tax systems need to have a total revamp. Especially in this country. Looking at the economy transitions from the traditional Industries to Professional Services & Knowledge based economy. Also with the aging polulations, and the Baby bloomer's are going into the retirement. I can forsees that the world is moving toward, so call the "Consumption Taxable" system. I have shared my thoughts with the President George Bush in year 2 thousand when he visit Los Angeles.
A simplified, uniform Income Tax code; lower Income tax to say 12-15%p.a. for State Tax; for The Federal Tax say lower to 8%. Then, with the consumption system, with the difference goods like Luxury & Branded goods, Spirits & Liqueurs, Cigars & Cigarettes & those non-essential items Taxing according to the Values. The food & Services Taxes should be lower too.
Then looking at the Corporation & Small Business, the incentive for lower corporation tax & also providing Tax incentive for hirring the Physical & mental healthy Baby Bloomers must be implement to encourage more Baby Bloomers to return to the employments. These in term would spur the Income Tax contributions from Baby Bloomers after they reach their retirment age. Especially from year 2008 onwards.
Medical cost & Medical Insurance shall have a reform as well. As the world is moving into Knowledge base economy. With the High cost of Medical Insurance systems, the people going to benefits most is not the government nor the citizens, It is the Provider of Insurance & those Drugs corporation. Everyone know that we are what we eat. So the problem of aging society would increase the medical cost of the individual & country as a whole.
But with the awareness & education programs, these would help to reduce the cost of Medical Care. Give tax incentives for the use of Herbs base Nutritions Supplements & for the preventions of Disease & Health preventions.
As the Old saying. "Prevention Is Better Then Cure!!" Why should we see's the suffering in immediate future but doing nothing positive now!!
The Basics
10 big tax breaks for the rest of us
advertisement
It's not just the rich who shelter huge amounts of income from the IRS. See how you stack up.
By Jeff Schnepper
Think the rich guys get all the tax breaks?
Wrong, deduction denier.
In fact, most of the big tax breaks go to middle-income earners like you and me. We don’t call them tax shelters. But that’s really what they are.
The tax pros call these shelters “tax expenditures.” These darling deductions and credits have the same impact on the federal budget as direct expenditures. That’s because they represent dollars not collected by the government. And each of these expenditures gives special or selective tax relief to only certain targeted groups of taxpayers.
Sounds like a tax shelter -- or at least a loophole -- to me.
These targeted provisions either encourage some desired activity or provide special aid to certain taxpayers. Some of them make a lot of sense. For example, the federal government seeks to encourage certain forms of investment. So, Congress has legislated accelerated rather than straight-line depreciation on new plants and equipment. This produces more tax savings up front, creating additional capital for business to expand.Banks and insurers
check your credit.
So should you.
Tax-advantaged investments help create new businesses and new jobs. These new jobs produce more paychecks, and those additional paychecks produce more taxes. In the long run, if everything works as it should, everyone wins.
Some tax expenditures have been adopted as relief provisions to ease tax hardships or to simplify tax computations. The elderly and the blind receive special financial benefits through a deduction called the “additional amount,” which is added to their standard deduction. Other tax benefits for the aged -- the retirement income credit and the potential exclusion of Social Security payments from taxable income -- also fall into this personal or hardship category.
Cost: $800 billion per year
Back in 1980, the Congressional Budget Office had 92 provisions that qualified as tax expenditures, at a cost of $206 billion. President Bush’s fiscal year 2004 budget listed 137 individual tax expenditures projected at more than $800 billion.
The financial benefits offered by these tax expenditures resemble those available on the spending side of the budget. A tax expenditure provision can provide special tax relief in any of the following ways:
Special exclusions, exemptions and deductions. These reduce taxable income and result in a smaller tax bills. Examples are tax-exempt municipal bond interest, the exclusion of employee discounts from taxable income, and dependent-care assistance programs.
Preferential rates. These reduce tax bills by applying lower rates to all or part of your income. Congress gave taxpayers a big one in 2003: the new special maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains or on qualified dividends. (It’s 5% for taxpayers in the 15% bracket or lower; 15% for everyone else.)
While the dividend and capital gains breaks are available to all, it is true that higher-end taxpayers will derive more benefit than anyone else. The Citizens for Tax Justice estimates that more than half of the benefits will go to taxpayers with incomes above $145,000.
Special credits. These are subtracted from your tax bill, rather than from the income on which your taxes are figured. For example, the child tax credit or the foreign tax credit.
Tax deferrals. Deferrals let you pay later rather than now. Such deferrals really constitute interest-free loans from the IRS. The best-known deferrals today are the contributions we make to Individual Retirement Accounts, 401(k) accounts or similar retirement funds.
The other side of big spending
Tax-expenditure spending and direct spending are two sides of the same coin. Nearly any tax expenditure can be recast as a spending program. One side reduces the revenues collected. The other side increases the actual cash outflows. The real difference is nothing more than a choice between alternative administrative mechanisms.
So much for the theory. In fact, just like spending provisions, these tax expenditures are really the result of pressure applied by special-interest groups seeking relief provisions for their own constituencies.
For example, the additional amount added to the standard deduction for the blind isn’t available for the deaf. I suspect this may have more to do with the political and lobbying power of the two groups than with any inherent difference between the hardships.
What kind of savings are you getting from your own expenditure tax shelters? A lot, according to a 2003 report by the Joint Committee on Taxation on tax expenditure estimates for fiscal years 2004-2008. Check out the tax shelter deals you may be getting. (Note: These are ranked by size.)
The biggest tax breaks
And if you’re not claiming the tax break, investigate to see if you can.
Health-care benefits. You don’t pay any tax when your employer pays the premiums for your health insurance and health care. Cost to the government over these five years: $602.7 billion.
This total doesn’t include the estimated cost for deductible health insurance and long-term care insurance premiums. That’s an additional $20 billion.
Contributions to retirement accounts. You don’t pay any current tax when you or your employer sock money away in pension and retirement plans. Cost to the government: $522.1 billion.
Lower rates on dividends and long-term capital gains. Cost to the government: $406.3 billion.
The mortgage-interest deduction. We all love the deduction for home-mortgage interest. But renters and those who own their homes free and clear get nothing. Cost to the government: $372.7 billion.
About 73% of the taxpayers who claimed this deduction on their 2002 returns earned $50,000 or more. About 47% of the total earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
State and local income taxes and personal property taxes. You get a deduction for state and local taxes and personal property taxes paid. Cost to the government: $195.2 billion.
About 94% of the 36.7 million tax returns that claimed the income tax deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. And 46% of the total earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
Charitable contributions. Very noble of you. But the rest of us kick in a part of your cost. Cost to the government: $158 billion.
About 81% of the 38.1 million tax returns that claimed this deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. About 43% of the total had earnings of between $50,000 and $100,000.
Children under age 17. The child tax credit puts $1,000 per child in your pocket. Cost to the government: $173 billion.
About 53% of the 31 million tax returns that claimed this deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. And 75% of that group earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
The earned income credit. You qualify for the earned income tax credit, which is targeted at low-income taxpayers. Cost to the government: $179.7 billion.
About 96% of the tax returns that claimed this benefit last year had earnings of $40,000 or less.
Life insurance or annuity contracts. No current tax on the inside investment income. Cost to the government: $137.5 billion.
You die. The basis for all of your assets (the value at which you start to calculate potential capital gains) is stepped up to fair market value on the date of your demise. That means that the tax on all capital gains you earned up to the date of death is lost. Cost to the government: $202.6 billion.
The total for the 10 above? $2.95 trillion over five years. And I haven’t even mentioned that the deduction you get to take for property taxes on your home will cost the feds $77.8 billion over the next five years. (A total of 34.5 million tax returns claimed the real estate property tax deduction last year.)
And the big break you now get on any profits from selling your home: Another $91.4 billion.
I’m not saying that any of these exclusions, deductions, or credits is a bad idea. I’m just shining a light on the fact that all the breaks don’t really go to the big guys.
I guess that if the expenditure puts money in my pocket, it represents good, sound tax policy.
On the other hand, if I’m a renter in a state with a high sales tax and no income tax, your deductions for interest, real estate tax and state income tax are coming out of the taxes I pay. And you’re the one with a real tax shelter. I’m the one making up the difference.
The Basics
10 big tax breaks for the rest of us
advertisement
It's not just the rich who shelter huge amounts of income from the IRS. See how you stack up.
By Jeff Schnepper
Think the rich guys get all the tax breaks?
Wrong, deduction denier.
In fact, most of the big tax breaks go to middle-income earners like you and me. We don’t call them tax shelters. But that’s really what they are.
The tax pros call these shelters “tax expenditures.” These darling deductions and credits have the same impact on the federal budget as direct expenditures. That’s because they represent dollars not collected by the government. And each of these expenditures gives special or selective tax relief to only certain targeted groups of taxpayers.
Sounds like a tax shelter -- or at least a loophole -- to me.
These targeted provisions either encourage some desired activity or provide special aid to certain taxpayers. Some of them make a lot of sense. For example, the federal government seeks to encourage certain forms of investment. So, Congress has legislated accelerated rather than straight-line depreciation on new plants and equipment. This produces more tax savings up front, creating additional capital for business to expand.Banks and insurers
check your credit.
So should you.
Tax-advantaged investments help create new businesses and new jobs. These new jobs produce more paychecks, and those additional paychecks produce more taxes. In the long run, if everything works as it should, everyone wins.
Some tax expenditures have been adopted as relief provisions to ease tax hardships or to simplify tax computations. The elderly and the blind receive special financial benefits through a deduction called the “additional amount,” which is added to their standard deduction. Other tax benefits for the aged -- the retirement income credit and the potential exclusion of Social Security payments from taxable income -- also fall into this personal or hardship category.
Cost: $800 billion per year
Back in 1980, the Congressional Budget Office had 92 provisions that qualified as tax expenditures, at a cost of $206 billion. President Bush’s fiscal year 2004 budget listed 137 individual tax expenditures projected at more than $800 billion.
The financial benefits offered by these tax expenditures resemble those available on the spending side of the budget. A tax expenditure provision can provide special tax relief in any of the following ways:
Special exclusions, exemptions and deductions. These reduce taxable income and result in a smaller tax bills. Examples are tax-exempt municipal bond interest, the exclusion of employee discounts from taxable income, and dependent-care assistance programs.
Preferential rates. These reduce tax bills by applying lower rates to all or part of your income. Congress gave taxpayers a big one in 2003: the new special maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains or on qualified dividends. (It’s 5% for taxpayers in the 15% bracket or lower; 15% for everyone else.)
While the dividend and capital gains breaks are available to all, it is true that higher-end taxpayers will derive more benefit than anyone else. The Citizens for Tax Justice estimates that more than half of the benefits will go to taxpayers with incomes above $145,000.
Special credits. These are subtracted from your tax bill, rather than from the income on which your taxes are figured. For example, the child tax credit or the foreign tax credit.
Tax deferrals. Deferrals let you pay later rather than now. Such deferrals really constitute interest-free loans from the IRS. The best-known deferrals today are the contributions we make to Individual Retirement Accounts, 401(k) accounts or similar retirement funds.
The other side of big spending
Tax-expenditure spending and direct spending are two sides of the same coin. Nearly any tax expenditure can be recast as a spending program. One side reduces the revenues collected. The other side increases the actual cash outflows. The real difference is nothing more than a choice between alternative administrative mechanisms.
So much for the theory. In fact, just like spending provisions, these tax expenditures are really the result of pressure applied by special-interest groups seeking relief provisions for their own constituencies.
For example, the additional amount added to the standard deduction for the blind isn’t available for the deaf. I suspect this may have more to do with the political and lobbying power of the two groups than with any inherent difference between the hardships.
What kind of savings are you getting from your own expenditure tax shelters? A lot, according to a 2003 report by the Joint Committee on Taxation on tax expenditure estimates for fiscal years 2004-2008. Check out the tax shelter deals you may be getting. (Note: These are ranked by size.)
The biggest tax breaks
And if you’re not claiming the tax break, investigate to see if you can.
Health-care benefits. You don’t pay any tax when your employer pays the premiums for your health insurance and health care. Cost to the government over these five years: $602.7 billion.
This total doesn’t include the estimated cost for deductible health insurance and long-term care insurance premiums. That’s an additional $20 billion.
Contributions to retirement accounts. You don’t pay any current tax when you or your employer sock money away in pension and retirement plans. Cost to the government: $522.1 billion.
Lower rates on dividends and long-term capital gains. Cost to the government: $406.3 billion.
The mortgage-interest deduction. We all love the deduction for home-mortgage interest. But renters and those who own their homes free and clear get nothing. Cost to the government: $372.7 billion.
About 73% of the taxpayers who claimed this deduction on their 2002 returns earned $50,000 or more. About 47% of the total earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
State and local income taxes and personal property taxes. You get a deduction for state and local taxes and personal property taxes paid. Cost to the government: $195.2 billion.
About 94% of the 36.7 million tax returns that claimed the income tax deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. And 46% of the total earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
Charitable contributions. Very noble of you. But the rest of us kick in a part of your cost. Cost to the government: $158 billion.
About 81% of the 38.1 million tax returns that claimed this deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. About 43% of the total had earnings of between $50,000 and $100,000.
Children under age 17. The child tax credit puts $1,000 per child in your pocket. Cost to the government: $173 billion.
About 53% of the 31 million tax returns that claimed this deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. And 75% of that group earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
The earned income credit. You qualify for the earned income tax credit, which is targeted at low-income taxpayers. Cost to the government: $179.7 billion.
About 96% of the tax returns that claimed this benefit last year had earnings of $40,000 or less.
Life insurance or annuity contracts. No current tax on the inside investment income. Cost to the government: $137.5 billion.
You die. The basis for all of your assets (the value at which you start to calculate potential capital gains) is stepped up to fair market value on the date of your demise. That means that the tax on all capital gains you earned up to the date of death is lost. Cost to the government: $202.6 billion.
The total for the 10 above? $2.95 trillion over five years. And I haven’t even mentioned that the deduction you get to take for property taxes on your home will cost the feds $77.8 billion over the next five years. (A total of 34.5 million tax returns claimed the real estate property tax deduction last year.)
And the big break you now get on any profits from selling your home: Another $91.4 billion.
I’m not saying that any of these exclusions, deductions, or credits is a bad idea. I’m just shining a light on the fact that all the breaks don’t really go to the big guys.
I guess that if the expenditure puts money in my pocket, it represents good, sound tax policy.
On the other hand, if I’m a renter in a state with a high sales tax and no income tax, your deductions for interest, real estate tax and state income tax are coming out of the taxes I pay. And you’re the one with a real tax shelter. I’m the one making up the difference.
The Basics
10 big tax breaks for the rest of us
It's not just the rich who shelter huge amounts of income from the IRS. See how you stack up.
By Jeff Schnepper
Think the rich guys get all the tax breaks?
Wrong, deduction denier.
In fact, most of the big tax breaks go to middle-income earners like you and me. We don’t call them tax shelters. But that’s really what they are.
The tax pros call these shelters “tax expenditures.” These darling deductions and credits have the same impact on the federal budget as direct expenditures. That’s because they represent dollars not collected by the government. And each of these expenditures gives special or selective tax relief to only certain targeted groups of taxpayers.
Sounds like a tax shelter -- or at least a loophole -- to me.
These targeted provisions either encourage some desired activity or provide special aid to certain taxpayers. Some of them make a lot of sense. For example, the federal government seeks to encourage certain forms of investment. So, Congress has legislated accelerated rather than straight-line depreciation on new plants and equipment. This produces more tax savings up front, creating additional capital for business to expand.Banks and insurers check your credit. So should you.
Tax-advantaged investments help create new businesses and new jobs. These new jobs produce more paychecks, and those additional paychecks produce more taxes. In the long run, if everything works as it should, everyone wins.
Some tax expenditures have been adopted as relief provisions to ease tax hardships or to simplify tax computations. The elderly and the blind receive special financial benefits through a deduction called the “additional amount,” which is added to their standard deduction. Other tax benefits for the aged -- the retirement income credit and the potential exclusion of Social Security payments from taxable income -- also fall into this personal or hardship category.
Cost: $800 billion per year
Back in 1980, the Congressional Budget Office had 92 provisions that qualified as tax expenditures, at a cost of $206 billion. President Bush’s fiscal year 2004 budget listed 137 individual tax expenditures projected at more than $800 billion.
The financial benefits offered by these tax expenditures resemble those available on the spending side of the budget. A tax expenditure provision can provide special tax relief in any of the following ways:
Special exclusions, exemptions and deductions. These reduce taxable income and result in a smaller tax bills. Examples are tax-exempt municipal bond interest, the exclusion of employee discounts from taxable income, and dependent-care assistance programs.
Preferential rates. These reduce tax bills by applying lower rates to all or part of your income. Congress gave taxpayers a big one in 2003: the new special maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains or on qualified dividends. (It’s 5% for taxpayers in the 15% bracket or lower; 15% for everyone else.)
While the dividend and capital gains breaks are available to all, it is true that higher-end taxpayers will derive more benefit than anyone else. The Citizens for Tax Justice estimates that more than half of the benefits will go to taxpayers with incomes above $145,000.
Special credits. These are subtracted from your tax bill, rather than from the income on which your taxes are figured. For example, the child tax credit or the foreign tax credit.
Tax deferrals. Deferrals let you pay later rather than now. Such deferrals really constitute interest-free loans from the IRS. The best-known deferrals today are the contributions we make to Individual Retirement Accounts, 401(k) accounts or similar retirement funds.
The other side of big spending
Tax-expenditure spending and direct spending are two sides of the same coin. Nearly any tax expenditure can be recast as a spending program. One side reduces the revenues collected. The other side increases the actual cash outflows. The real difference is nothing more than a choice between alternative administrative mechanisms.
So much for the theory. In fact, just like spending provisions, these tax expenditures are really the result of pressure applied by special-interest groups seeking relief provisions for their own constituencies.
For example, the additional amount added to the standard deduction for the blind isn’t available for the deaf. I suspect this may have more to do with the political and lobbying power of the two groups than with any inherent difference between the hardships.
What kind of savings are you getting from your own expenditure tax shelters? A lot, according to a 2003 report by the Joint Committee on Taxation on tax expenditure estimates for fiscal years 2004-2008. Check out the tax shelter deals you may be getting. (Note: These are ranked by size.)
The biggest tax breaks
And if you’re not claiming the tax break, investigate to see if you can. Health-care benefits. You don’t pay any tax when your employer pays the premiums for your health insurance and health care. Cost to the government over these five years: $602.7 billion.
This total doesn’t include the estimated cost for deductible health insurance and long-term care insurance premiums. That’s an additional $20 billion.
Contributions to retirement accounts. You don’t pay any current tax when you or your employer sock money away in pension and retirement plans. Cost to the government: $522.1 billion.
Lower rates on dividends and long-term capital gains.
Cost to the government: $406.3 billion.
The mortgage-interest deduction. We all love the deduction for home-mortgage interest. But renters and those who own their homes free and clear get nothing. Cost to the government: $372.7 billion.
About 73% of the taxpayers who claimed this deduction on their 2002 returns earned $50,000 or more. About 47% of the total earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
State and local income taxes and personal property taxes. You get a deduction for state and local taxes and personal property taxes paid. Cost to the government: $195.2 billion.
About 94% of the 36.7 million tax returns that claimed the income tax deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. And 46% of the total earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
Charitable contributions.
Very noble of you. But the rest of us kick in a part of your cost. Cost to the government: $158 billion.
About 81% of the 38.1 million tax returns that claimed this deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. About 43% of the total had earnings of between $50,000 and $100,000.
Children under age 17. The child tax credit puts $1,000 per child in your pocket. Cost to the government: $173 billion.
About 53% of the 31 million tax returns that claimed this deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. And 75% of that group earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
The earned income credit. You qualify for the earned income tax credit, which is targeted at low-income taxpayers. Cost to the government: $179.7 billion.
About 96% of the tax returns that claimed this benefit last year had earnings of $40,000 or less.
Life insurance or annuity contracts. No current tax on the inside investment income. Cost to the government: $137.5 billion.
You die. The basis for all of your assets (the value at which you start to calculate potential capital gains) is stepped up to fair market value on the date of your demise. That means that the tax on all capital gains you earned up to the date of death is lost. Cost to the government: $202.6 billion.
The total for the 10 above? $2.95 trillion over five years. And I haven’t even mentioned that the deduction you get to take for property taxes on your home will cost the feds $77.8 billion over the next five years. (A total of 34.5 million tax returns claimed the real estate property tax deduction last year.)
And the big break you now get on any profits from selling your home: Another $91.4 billion.
I’m not saying that any of these exclusions, deductions, or credits is a bad idea. I’m just shining a light on the fact that all the breaks don’t really go to the big guys.
I guess that if the expenditure puts money in my pocket, it represents good, sound tax policy.
On the other hand, if I’m a renter in a state with a high sales tax and no income tax, your deductions for interest, real estate tax and state income tax are coming out of the taxes I pay. And you’re the one with a real tax shelter. I’m the one making up the difference.
MSN Money - 10 big tax breaks for the rest of us
I agreed that Tax-Advantaged Investments help create new businesses & New Jobs. News Jobs would Produce More PayChecks, & those additional paychecks produce more Taxes in the long term future.
However, I am in the opinion that the world of Income Tax systems need to have a total revamp. Especially in this country. Looking at the economy transitions from the traditional Industries to Professional Services & Knowledge based economy. Also with the aging polulations, and the Baby bloomer's are going into the retirement. I can forsees that the world is moving toward, so call the "Consumption Taxable" system. I have shared my thoughts with the President George Bush in year 2 thousand when he visit Los Angeles.
A simplified, uniform Income Tax code; lower Income tax to say 12-15%p.a. for State Tax; for The Federal Tax say lower to 8%. Then, with the consumption system, with the difference goods like Luxury & Branded goods, Spirits & Liqueurs, Cigars & Cigarettes & those non-essential items Taxing according to the Values. The food & Services Taxes should be lower too.
Then looking at the Corporation & Small Business, the incentive for lower corporation tax & also providing Tax incentive for hirring the Physical & mental healthy Baby Bloomers must be implement to encourage more Baby Bloomers to return to the employments. These in term would spur the Income Tax contributions from Baby Bloomers after they reach their retirment age. Especially from year 2008 onwards.
Medical cost & Medical Insurance shall have a reform as well. As the world is moving into Knowledge base economy. With the High cost of Medical Insurance systems, the people going to benefits most is not the government nor the citizens, It is the Provider of Insurance & those Drugs corporation. Everyone know that we are what we eat. So the problem of aging society would increase the medical cost of the individual & country as a whole.
But with the awareness & education programs, these would help to reduce the cost of Medical Care. Give tax incentives for the use of Herbs base Nutritions Supplements & for the preventions of Disease & Health preventions.
As the Old saying. "Prevention Is Better Then Cure!!" Why should we see's the suffering in immediate future but doing nothing positive now!!
The Basics
10 big tax breaks for the rest of us
advertisement
It's not just the rich who shelter huge amounts of income from the IRS. See how you stack up.
By Jeff Schnepper
Think the rich guys get all the tax breaks?
Wrong, deduction denier.
In fact, most of the big tax breaks go to middle-income earners like you and me. We don’t call them tax shelters. But that’s really what they are.
The tax pros call these shelters “tax expenditures.” These darling deductions and credits have the same impact on the federal budget as direct expenditures. That’s because they represent dollars not collected by the government. And each of these expenditures gives special or selective tax relief to only certain targeted groups of taxpayers.
Sounds like a tax shelter -- or at least a loophole -- to me.
These targeted provisions either encourage some desired activity or provide special aid to certain taxpayers. Some of them make a lot of sense. For example, the federal government seeks to encourage certain forms of investment. So, Congress has legislated accelerated rather than straight-line depreciation on new plants and equipment. This produces more tax savings up front, creating additional capital for business to expand.Banks and insurers
check your credit.
So should you.
Tax-advantaged investments help create new businesses and new jobs. These new jobs produce more paychecks, and those additional paychecks produce more taxes. In the long run, if everything works as it should, everyone wins.
Some tax expenditures have been adopted as relief provisions to ease tax hardships or to simplify tax computations. The elderly and the blind receive special financial benefits through a deduction called the “additional amount,” which is added to their standard deduction. Other tax benefits for the aged -- the retirement income credit and the potential exclusion of Social Security payments from taxable income -- also fall into this personal or hardship category.
Cost: $800 billion per year
Back in 1980, the Congressional Budget Office had 92 provisions that qualified as tax expenditures, at a cost of $206 billion. President Bush’s fiscal year 2004 budget listed 137 individual tax expenditures projected at more than $800 billion.
The financial benefits offered by these tax expenditures resemble those available on the spending side of the budget. A tax expenditure provision can provide special tax relief in any of the following ways:
Special exclusions, exemptions and deductions. These reduce taxable income and result in a smaller tax bills. Examples are tax-exempt municipal bond interest, the exclusion of employee discounts from taxable income, and dependent-care assistance programs.
Preferential rates. These reduce tax bills by applying lower rates to all or part of your income. Congress gave taxpayers a big one in 2003: the new special maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains or on qualified dividends. (It’s 5% for taxpayers in the 15% bracket or lower; 15% for everyone else.)
While the dividend and capital gains breaks are available to all, it is true that higher-end taxpayers will derive more benefit than anyone else. The Citizens for Tax Justice estimates that more than half of the benefits will go to taxpayers with incomes above $145,000.
Special credits. These are subtracted from your tax bill, rather than from the income on which your taxes are figured. For example, the child tax credit or the foreign tax credit.
Tax deferrals. Deferrals let you pay later rather than now. Such deferrals really constitute interest-free loans from the IRS. The best-known deferrals today are the contributions we make to Individual Retirement Accounts, 401(k) accounts or similar retirement funds.
The other side of big spending
Tax-expenditure spending and direct spending are two sides of the same coin. Nearly any tax expenditure can be recast as a spending program. One side reduces the revenues collected. The other side increases the actual cash outflows. The real difference is nothing more than a choice between alternative administrative mechanisms.
So much for the theory. In fact, just like spending provisions, these tax expenditures are really the result of pressure applied by special-interest groups seeking relief provisions for their own constituencies.
For example, the additional amount added to the standard deduction for the blind isn’t available for the deaf. I suspect this may have more to do with the political and lobbying power of the two groups than with any inherent difference between the hardships.
What kind of savings are you getting from your own expenditure tax shelters? A lot, according to a 2003 report by the Joint Committee on Taxation on tax expenditure estimates for fiscal years 2004-2008. Check out the tax shelter deals you may be getting. (Note: These are ranked by size.)
The biggest tax breaks
And if you’re not claiming the tax break, investigate to see if you can.
Health-care benefits. You don’t pay any tax when your employer pays the premiums for your health insurance and health care. Cost to the government over these five years: $602.7 billion.
This total doesn’t include the estimated cost for deductible health insurance and long-term care insurance premiums. That’s an additional $20 billion.
Contributions to retirement accounts. You don’t pay any current tax when you or your employer sock money away in pension and retirement plans. Cost to the government: $522.1 billion.
Lower rates on dividends and long-term capital gains. Cost to the government: $406.3 billion.
The mortgage-interest deduction. We all love the deduction for home-mortgage interest. But renters and those who own their homes free and clear get nothing. Cost to the government: $372.7 billion.
About 73% of the taxpayers who claimed this deduction on their 2002 returns earned $50,000 or more. About 47% of the total earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
State and local income taxes and personal property taxes. You get a deduction for state and local taxes and personal property taxes paid. Cost to the government: $195.2 billion.
About 94% of the 36.7 million tax returns that claimed the income tax deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. And 46% of the total earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
Charitable contributions. Very noble of you. But the rest of us kick in a part of your cost. Cost to the government: $158 billion.
About 81% of the 38.1 million tax returns that claimed this deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. About 43% of the total had earnings of between $50,000 and $100,000.
Children under age 17. The child tax credit puts $1,000 per child in your pocket. Cost to the government: $173 billion.
About 53% of the 31 million tax returns that claimed this deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. And 75% of that group earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
The earned income credit. You qualify for the earned income tax credit, which is targeted at low-income taxpayers. Cost to the government: $179.7 billion.
About 96% of the tax returns that claimed this benefit last year had earnings of $40,000 or less.
Life insurance or annuity contracts. No current tax on the inside investment income. Cost to the government: $137.5 billion.
You die. The basis for all of your assets (the value at which you start to calculate potential capital gains) is stepped up to fair market value on the date of your demise. That means that the tax on all capital gains you earned up to the date of death is lost. Cost to the government: $202.6 billion.
The total for the 10 above? $2.95 trillion over five years. And I haven’t even mentioned that the deduction you get to take for property taxes on your home will cost the feds $77.8 billion over the next five years. (A total of 34.5 million tax returns claimed the real estate property tax deduction last year.)
And the big break you now get on any profits from selling your home: Another $91.4 billion.
I’m not saying that any of these exclusions, deductions, or credits is a bad idea. I’m just shining a light on the fact that all the breaks don’t really go to the big guys.
I guess that if the expenditure puts money in my pocket, it represents good, sound tax policy.
On the other hand, if I’m a renter in a state with a high sales tax and no income tax, your deductions for interest, real estate tax and state income tax are coming out of the taxes I pay. And you’re the one with a real tax shelter. I’m the one making up the difference.
The Basics
10 big tax breaks for the rest of us
advertisement
It's not just the rich who shelter huge amounts of income from the IRS. See how you stack up.
By Jeff Schnepper
Think the rich guys get all the tax breaks?
Wrong, deduction denier.
In fact, most of the big tax breaks go to middle-income earners like you and me. We don’t call them tax shelters. But that’s really what they are.
The tax pros call these shelters “tax expenditures.” These darling deductions and credits have the same impact on the federal budget as direct expenditures. That’s because they represent dollars not collected by the government. And each of these expenditures gives special or selective tax relief to only certain targeted groups of taxpayers.
Sounds like a tax shelter -- or at least a loophole -- to me.
These targeted provisions either encourage some desired activity or provide special aid to certain taxpayers. Some of them make a lot of sense. For example, the federal government seeks to encourage certain forms of investment. So, Congress has legislated accelerated rather than straight-line depreciation on new plants and equipment. This produces more tax savings up front, creating additional capital for business to expand.Banks and insurers
check your credit.
So should you.
Tax-advantaged investments help create new businesses and new jobs. These new jobs produce more paychecks, and those additional paychecks produce more taxes. In the long run, if everything works as it should, everyone wins.
Some tax expenditures have been adopted as relief provisions to ease tax hardships or to simplify tax computations. The elderly and the blind receive special financial benefits through a deduction called the “additional amount,” which is added to their standard deduction. Other tax benefits for the aged -- the retirement income credit and the potential exclusion of Social Security payments from taxable income -- also fall into this personal or hardship category.
Cost: $800 billion per year
Back in 1980, the Congressional Budget Office had 92 provisions that qualified as tax expenditures, at a cost of $206 billion. President Bush’s fiscal year 2004 budget listed 137 individual tax expenditures projected at more than $800 billion.
The financial benefits offered by these tax expenditures resemble those available on the spending side of the budget. A tax expenditure provision can provide special tax relief in any of the following ways:
Special exclusions, exemptions and deductions. These reduce taxable income and result in a smaller tax bills. Examples are tax-exempt municipal bond interest, the exclusion of employee discounts from taxable income, and dependent-care assistance programs.
Preferential rates. These reduce tax bills by applying lower rates to all or part of your income. Congress gave taxpayers a big one in 2003: the new special maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains or on qualified dividends. (It’s 5% for taxpayers in the 15% bracket or lower; 15% for everyone else.)
While the dividend and capital gains breaks are available to all, it is true that higher-end taxpayers will derive more benefit than anyone else. The Citizens for Tax Justice estimates that more than half of the benefits will go to taxpayers with incomes above $145,000.
Special credits. These are subtracted from your tax bill, rather than from the income on which your taxes are figured. For example, the child tax credit or the foreign tax credit.
Tax deferrals. Deferrals let you pay later rather than now. Such deferrals really constitute interest-free loans from the IRS. The best-known deferrals today are the contributions we make to Individual Retirement Accounts, 401(k) accounts or similar retirement funds.
The other side of big spending
Tax-expenditure spending and direct spending are two sides of the same coin. Nearly any tax expenditure can be recast as a spending program. One side reduces the revenues collected. The other side increases the actual cash outflows. The real difference is nothing more than a choice between alternative administrative mechanisms.
So much for the theory. In fact, just like spending provisions, these tax expenditures are really the result of pressure applied by special-interest groups seeking relief provisions for their own constituencies.
For example, the additional amount added to the standard deduction for the blind isn’t available for the deaf. I suspect this may have more to do with the political and lobbying power of the two groups than with any inherent difference between the hardships.
What kind of savings are you getting from your own expenditure tax shelters? A lot, according to a 2003 report by the Joint Committee on Taxation on tax expenditure estimates for fiscal years 2004-2008. Check out the tax shelter deals you may be getting. (Note: These are ranked by size.)
The biggest tax breaks
And if you’re not claiming the tax break, investigate to see if you can.
Health-care benefits. You don’t pay any tax when your employer pays the premiums for your health insurance and health care. Cost to the government over these five years: $602.7 billion.
This total doesn’t include the estimated cost for deductible health insurance and long-term care insurance premiums. That’s an additional $20 billion.
Contributions to retirement accounts. You don’t pay any current tax when you or your employer sock money away in pension and retirement plans. Cost to the government: $522.1 billion.
Lower rates on dividends and long-term capital gains. Cost to the government: $406.3 billion.
The mortgage-interest deduction. We all love the deduction for home-mortgage interest. But renters and those who own their homes free and clear get nothing. Cost to the government: $372.7 billion.
About 73% of the taxpayers who claimed this deduction on their 2002 returns earned $50,000 or more. About 47% of the total earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
State and local income taxes and personal property taxes. You get a deduction for state and local taxes and personal property taxes paid. Cost to the government: $195.2 billion.
About 94% of the 36.7 million tax returns that claimed the income tax deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. And 46% of the total earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
Charitable contributions. Very noble of you. But the rest of us kick in a part of your cost. Cost to the government: $158 billion.
About 81% of the 38.1 million tax returns that claimed this deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. About 43% of the total had earnings of between $50,000 and $100,000.
Children under age 17. The child tax credit puts $1,000 per child in your pocket. Cost to the government: $173 billion.
About 53% of the 31 million tax returns that claimed this deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. And 75% of that group earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
The earned income credit. You qualify for the earned income tax credit, which is targeted at low-income taxpayers. Cost to the government: $179.7 billion.
About 96% of the tax returns that claimed this benefit last year had earnings of $40,000 or less.
Life insurance or annuity contracts. No current tax on the inside investment income. Cost to the government: $137.5 billion.
You die. The basis for all of your assets (the value at which you start to calculate potential capital gains) is stepped up to fair market value on the date of your demise. That means that the tax on all capital gains you earned up to the date of death is lost. Cost to the government: $202.6 billion.
The total for the 10 above? $2.95 trillion over five years. And I haven’t even mentioned that the deduction you get to take for property taxes on your home will cost the feds $77.8 billion over the next five years. (A total of 34.5 million tax returns claimed the real estate property tax deduction last year.)
And the big break you now get on any profits from selling your home: Another $91.4 billion.
I’m not saying that any of these exclusions, deductions, or credits is a bad idea. I’m just shining a light on the fact that all the breaks don’t really go to the big guys.
I guess that if the expenditure puts money in my pocket, it represents good, sound tax policy.
On the other hand, if I’m a renter in a state with a high sales tax and no income tax, your deductions for interest, real estate tax and state income tax are coming out of the taxes I pay. And you’re the one with a real tax shelter. I’m the one making up the difference.
The Basics
10 big tax breaks for the rest of us
It's not just the rich who shelter huge amounts of income from the IRS. See how you stack up.
By Jeff Schnepper
Think the rich guys get all the tax breaks?
Wrong, deduction denier.
In fact, most of the big tax breaks go to middle-income earners like you and me. We don’t call them tax shelters. But that’s really what they are.
The tax pros call these shelters “tax expenditures.” These darling deductions and credits have the same impact on the federal budget as direct expenditures. That’s because they represent dollars not collected by the government. And each of these expenditures gives special or selective tax relief to only certain targeted groups of taxpayers.
Sounds like a tax shelter -- or at least a loophole -- to me.
These targeted provisions either encourage some desired activity or provide special aid to certain taxpayers. Some of them make a lot of sense. For example, the federal government seeks to encourage certain forms of investment. So, Congress has legislated accelerated rather than straight-line depreciation on new plants and equipment. This produces more tax savings up front, creating additional capital for business to expand.Banks and insurers check your credit. So should you.
Tax-advantaged investments help create new businesses and new jobs. These new jobs produce more paychecks, and those additional paychecks produce more taxes. In the long run, if everything works as it should, everyone wins.
Some tax expenditures have been adopted as relief provisions to ease tax hardships or to simplify tax computations. The elderly and the blind receive special financial benefits through a deduction called the “additional amount,” which is added to their standard deduction. Other tax benefits for the aged -- the retirement income credit and the potential exclusion of Social Security payments from taxable income -- also fall into this personal or hardship category.
Cost: $800 billion per year
Back in 1980, the Congressional Budget Office had 92 provisions that qualified as tax expenditures, at a cost of $206 billion. President Bush’s fiscal year 2004 budget listed 137 individual tax expenditures projected at more than $800 billion.
The financial benefits offered by these tax expenditures resemble those available on the spending side of the budget. A tax expenditure provision can provide special tax relief in any of the following ways:
Special exclusions, exemptions and deductions. These reduce taxable income and result in a smaller tax bills. Examples are tax-exempt municipal bond interest, the exclusion of employee discounts from taxable income, and dependent-care assistance programs.
Preferential rates. These reduce tax bills by applying lower rates to all or part of your income. Congress gave taxpayers a big one in 2003: the new special maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains or on qualified dividends. (It’s 5% for taxpayers in the 15% bracket or lower; 15% for everyone else.)
While the dividend and capital gains breaks are available to all, it is true that higher-end taxpayers will derive more benefit than anyone else. The Citizens for Tax Justice estimates that more than half of the benefits will go to taxpayers with incomes above $145,000.
Special credits. These are subtracted from your tax bill, rather than from the income on which your taxes are figured. For example, the child tax credit or the foreign tax credit.
Tax deferrals. Deferrals let you pay later rather than now. Such deferrals really constitute interest-free loans from the IRS. The best-known deferrals today are the contributions we make to Individual Retirement Accounts, 401(k) accounts or similar retirement funds.
The other side of big spending
Tax-expenditure spending and direct spending are two sides of the same coin. Nearly any tax expenditure can be recast as a spending program. One side reduces the revenues collected. The other side increases the actual cash outflows. The real difference is nothing more than a choice between alternative administrative mechanisms.
So much for the theory. In fact, just like spending provisions, these tax expenditures are really the result of pressure applied by special-interest groups seeking relief provisions for their own constituencies.
For example, the additional amount added to the standard deduction for the blind isn’t available for the deaf. I suspect this may have more to do with the political and lobbying power of the two groups than with any inherent difference between the hardships.
What kind of savings are you getting from your own expenditure tax shelters? A lot, according to a 2003 report by the Joint Committee on Taxation on tax expenditure estimates for fiscal years 2004-2008. Check out the tax shelter deals you may be getting. (Note: These are ranked by size.)
The biggest tax breaks
And if you’re not claiming the tax break, investigate to see if you can. Health-care benefits. You don’t pay any tax when your employer pays the premiums for your health insurance and health care. Cost to the government over these five years: $602.7 billion.
This total doesn’t include the estimated cost for deductible health insurance and long-term care insurance premiums. That’s an additional $20 billion.
Contributions to retirement accounts. You don’t pay any current tax when you or your employer sock money away in pension and retirement plans. Cost to the government: $522.1 billion.
Lower rates on dividends and long-term capital gains.
Cost to the government: $406.3 billion.
The mortgage-interest deduction. We all love the deduction for home-mortgage interest. But renters and those who own their homes free and clear get nothing. Cost to the government: $372.7 billion.
About 73% of the taxpayers who claimed this deduction on their 2002 returns earned $50,000 or more. About 47% of the total earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
State and local income taxes and personal property taxes. You get a deduction for state and local taxes and personal property taxes paid. Cost to the government: $195.2 billion.
About 94% of the 36.7 million tax returns that claimed the income tax deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. And 46% of the total earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
Charitable contributions.
Very noble of you. But the rest of us kick in a part of your cost. Cost to the government: $158 billion.
About 81% of the 38.1 million tax returns that claimed this deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. About 43% of the total had earnings of between $50,000 and $100,000.
Children under age 17. The child tax credit puts $1,000 per child in your pocket. Cost to the government: $173 billion.
About 53% of the 31 million tax returns that claimed this deduction reported earnings of $50,000 or more. And 75% of that group earned between $50,000 and $100,000.
The earned income credit. You qualify for the earned income tax credit, which is targeted at low-income taxpayers. Cost to the government: $179.7 billion.
About 96% of the tax returns that claimed this benefit last year had earnings of $40,000 or less.
Life insurance or annuity contracts. No current tax on the inside investment income. Cost to the government: $137.5 billion.
You die. The basis for all of your assets (the value at which you start to calculate potential capital gains) is stepped up to fair market value on the date of your demise. That means that the tax on all capital gains you earned up to the date of death is lost. Cost to the government: $202.6 billion.
The total for the 10 above? $2.95 trillion over five years. And I haven’t even mentioned that the deduction you get to take for property taxes on your home will cost the feds $77.8 billion over the next five years. (A total of 34.5 million tax returns claimed the real estate property tax deduction last year.)
And the big break you now get on any profits from selling your home: Another $91.4 billion.
I’m not saying that any of these exclusions, deductions, or credits is a bad idea. I’m just shining a light on the fact that all the breaks don’t really go to the big guys.
I guess that if the expenditure puts money in my pocket, it represents good, sound tax policy.
On the other hand, if I’m a renter in a state with a high sales tax and no income tax, your deductions for interest, real estate tax and state income tax are coming out of the taxes I pay. And you’re the one with a real tax shelter. I’m the one making up the difference.
MSN Money - 10 big tax breaks for the rest of us
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Militarization of Space - It Should Think About Cyberspace.
The "Star War" was initiated by Late President Ronald Reagan .
In the book "War & Anti-War" written by Alvin Toffler, he have mentioned that with the advance of Digital Technology & Bio-Tech.. the War would be of the difference forms. .. However, he said .. in any War situations.. There is An Anti-War moment to check in the balance. I salute Alvin for his wsidom of "Tao".
Before, China opened ups, the Military Competitions is between Soviet Union & USA. However, as we enter the
the century. Economy Growth of China is always at the 1st place in the world. They are also taking steps to de-Militarized their Military forces & moving towards Technology base Military forces.
As a independant person, I have travel & visit many parts of China As well as living in Western world & Asia, South East Asia.. I have studied the history of Chinese culture on my own accord. I have study the cultural influence of
Lao Tze
Jiang Thai Gong
Qwei Ku Tze
Confucius
Mencius
Sun Tze
Conming
Tang Thai Zhong (Li Shi Ming)
Gengiskhan
Liu Poi Wen
Yong Zheng
Mao Tze Dong
Deng Xiao Peng
In fact, all the later Stratgies or the Ruler of China. Have follow one Guru strategies.. That is:
Lao Tze... "Military Force is A Dangerous Means" then even for
Sun Tze....he have going into few hundreds of battle.. But finally he still advise his King...."Kill No More".
The Emperor Yong Zheng.. He said only those who have the heart of the people then have everything below the Heaven.
Now, looking at the China history back to the 1960-1980. it is on the record that the Rich Chinese Culture of going for War with Peace in their mind. When they achieved their Military Objectives.. then they withdrew back to their country. This is written in the history as on the war with
Soviet Union
India
Vietnam
These is exactly what the Guru's Strategy
"Go To The War To End A War!!" &
"To Punish Is To Teach!!" As Well As,
"To Touch Is The End!!"
Now let's us looking at the more positive side of the situations. In fact it would be a excellence opportunity for the Powerful, Nations to pool their Investments & Resources of Military Space for the collabraqtions of:
"Disaster's" Preventions & Recovery,
Agriculture
Environmental Protections
Poor Nations Assistance
Anti-Terrorism
Space Program's Collabrations..etc.
That would make peace & make the people in the World living in Nirvana.
Militarization of Space
The Washington Post has a report on the Pentagon's recent moves to militarize space. The article is framed within the context of arms control, particularly as it relates to a set of recent conferences on space militarization. Representatives from Russia, China, and an assorted group of thinktanks have recently issued statements condemning Washington's policy agenda in this area, and the article approaches the issue from that perspective.
In any case, the Post story touches upon one of the most important aspects of security policy in the 21st century: space. The global economy has increasingly come to rely on the use of satellites in Earth orbit for communications, commerce, and travel. This space infrastructure is also vital to American intelligence agencies and the armed forces. Satellite reconnaissance (although in some ways being eclipsed by the use of unmanned aerial vehicles) is essential for monitoring potential hostile agents, safely tracking troop movements and exercises, and a variety of other important intelligence gathering tasks. The US military is extremely reliant on space infrastructure; the functions of aerial attack, communications, command, logistics, and movement are all irrevocably tied into the constellations of US satellites. Should this space infrastructure ever be destroyed or suffer massive damage, the consequences to both the global economy and American security would be tremendously detrimental. Worldwide depression, massive US losses, and global destabilization are all within the realm of possibility. Meanwhile, the exploitation of space for offensive purposes promises to yield rich rewards; the Pentagon, for example, is currently exploring technology that would enable America to launch decisive aerial attacks both through space (originating in the United States itself) and from space.
The Pentagon is developing a suborbital space capsule that could hit targets anywhere in the world within two hours of being launched from U.S. bases.
It is therefore exceedingly critical that this space infrastructure be protected from all potential threats. Furthermore, considering the significant advantages granted to any military force through space infrastructure, the ability to deny a wartime enemy use of space infrastructure is similarly important. It is therefore in the essential national interests of the United States to develop systems of this nature, and thus to militarize space. Recognizing this truth, strategic planners at the Pentagon have mapped out a comprehensive future plan for satisfying American interests in space. Described in a series of recent documents (beginning with the 2002 report on national defense strategy and continuing), this map includes both offensive and defensive components.
A series of Pentagon doctrinal papers, released over the past year, have emphasized that the U.S. military is increasingly dependent on space satellites for offensive and defensive operations, and must be able to protect them in times of war.
The Air Force in August put forward a Counterspace Operations Doctrine, which described "ways and means by which the Air Force achieves and maintains space superiority" and has worked to develop weapons to accomplish such missions.
On March 1, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld signed a new National Defense Strategy paper that said the use of space "enables us to project power anywhere in the world from secure bases of operation." A key goal of Rumsfeld's new strategy is "to ensure our access to and use of space and to deny hostile exploitation of space to adversaries."
The US push to militarize space is being rapidly propelled along due to two factors. First is the rise of China as a competitor in space. Beijing is actively seeking to neutralize the American advantage in space, and thus correspondingly to enhance its military power relative to that of the United States. Since Washington's domination of space currently provides US forces with greatly augmented strength and capabilities, China can gain significantly by reducing Washington's ability to leverage this advantage. An international agreement not to militarize space would leave the American satellite constellations vulnerable and unprotected, a weakness that China could then exploit with the anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons it's certainly developing. Even the mere threat of downing the US satellite system could be enough to keep American out of a Chinese-Taiwanese war. China is also undertaking a crash program to exploit the benefits of space for itself. It's participating in a European rival to the GPS system, working on developing space launch technology, and generally preparing to make its own forays into space. When its technology is sufficient, China will almost certainly make an attempt at militarizing space for Chinese interests. The US is concerned about this, and wants to head Beijing off. Read More.....
Power Politics: Aerospace, Defense, & Energy Archives
In the book "War & Anti-War" written by Alvin Toffler, he have mentioned that with the advance of Digital Technology & Bio-Tech.. the War would be of the difference forms. .. However, he said .. in any War situations.. There is An Anti-War moment to check in the balance. I salute Alvin for his wsidom of "Tao".
Before, China opened ups, the Military Competitions is between Soviet Union & USA. However, as we enter the
the century. Economy Growth of China is always at the 1st place in the world. They are also taking steps to de-Militarized their Military forces & moving towards Technology base Military forces.
As a independant person, I have travel & visit many parts of China As well as living in Western world & Asia, South East Asia.. I have studied the history of Chinese culture on my own accord. I have study the cultural influence of
Lao Tze
Jiang Thai Gong
Qwei Ku Tze
Confucius
Mencius
Sun Tze
Conming
Tang Thai Zhong (Li Shi Ming)
Gengiskhan
Liu Poi Wen
Yong Zheng
Mao Tze Dong
Deng Xiao Peng
In fact, all the later Stratgies or the Ruler of China. Have follow one Guru strategies.. That is:
Lao Tze... "Military Force is A Dangerous Means" then even for
Sun Tze....he have going into few hundreds of battle.. But finally he still advise his King...."Kill No More".
The Emperor Yong Zheng.. He said only those who have the heart of the people then have everything below the Heaven.
Now, looking at the China history back to the 1960-1980. it is on the record that the Rich Chinese Culture of going for War with Peace in their mind. When they achieved their Military Objectives.. then they withdrew back to their country. This is written in the history as on the war with
Soviet Union
India
Vietnam
These is exactly what the Guru's Strategy
"Go To The War To End A War!!" &
"To Punish Is To Teach!!" As Well As,
"To Touch Is The End!!"
Now let's us looking at the more positive side of the situations. In fact it would be a excellence opportunity for the Powerful, Nations to pool their Investments & Resources of Military Space for the collabraqtions of:
"Disaster's" Preventions & Recovery,
Agriculture
Environmental Protections
Poor Nations Assistance
Anti-Terrorism
Space Program's Collabrations..etc.
That would make peace & make the people in the World living in Nirvana.
Militarization of Space
The Washington Post has a report on the Pentagon's recent moves to militarize space. The article is framed within the context of arms control, particularly as it relates to a set of recent conferences on space militarization. Representatives from Russia, China, and an assorted group of thinktanks have recently issued statements condemning Washington's policy agenda in this area, and the article approaches the issue from that perspective.
In any case, the Post story touches upon one of the most important aspects of security policy in the 21st century: space. The global economy has increasingly come to rely on the use of satellites in Earth orbit for communications, commerce, and travel. This space infrastructure is also vital to American intelligence agencies and the armed forces. Satellite reconnaissance (although in some ways being eclipsed by the use of unmanned aerial vehicles) is essential for monitoring potential hostile agents, safely tracking troop movements and exercises, and a variety of other important intelligence gathering tasks. The US military is extremely reliant on space infrastructure; the functions of aerial attack, communications, command, logistics, and movement are all irrevocably tied into the constellations of US satellites. Should this space infrastructure ever be destroyed or suffer massive damage, the consequences to both the global economy and American security would be tremendously detrimental. Worldwide depression, massive US losses, and global destabilization are all within the realm of possibility. Meanwhile, the exploitation of space for offensive purposes promises to yield rich rewards; the Pentagon, for example, is currently exploring technology that would enable America to launch decisive aerial attacks both through space (originating in the United States itself) and from space.
The Pentagon is developing a suborbital space capsule that could hit targets anywhere in the world within two hours of being launched from U.S. bases.
It is therefore exceedingly critical that this space infrastructure be protected from all potential threats. Furthermore, considering the significant advantages granted to any military force through space infrastructure, the ability to deny a wartime enemy use of space infrastructure is similarly important. It is therefore in the essential national interests of the United States to develop systems of this nature, and thus to militarize space. Recognizing this truth, strategic planners at the Pentagon have mapped out a comprehensive future plan for satisfying American interests in space. Described in a series of recent documents (beginning with the 2002 report on national defense strategy and continuing), this map includes both offensive and defensive components.
A series of Pentagon doctrinal papers, released over the past year, have emphasized that the U.S. military is increasingly dependent on space satellites for offensive and defensive operations, and must be able to protect them in times of war.
The Air Force in August put forward a Counterspace Operations Doctrine, which described "ways and means by which the Air Force achieves and maintains space superiority" and has worked to develop weapons to accomplish such missions.
On March 1, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld signed a new National Defense Strategy paper that said the use of space "enables us to project power anywhere in the world from secure bases of operation." A key goal of Rumsfeld's new strategy is "to ensure our access to and use of space and to deny hostile exploitation of space to adversaries."
The US push to militarize space is being rapidly propelled along due to two factors. First is the rise of China as a competitor in space. Beijing is actively seeking to neutralize the American advantage in space, and thus correspondingly to enhance its military power relative to that of the United States. Since Washington's domination of space currently provides US forces with greatly augmented strength and capabilities, China can gain significantly by reducing Washington's ability to leverage this advantage. An international agreement not to militarize space would leave the American satellite constellations vulnerable and unprotected, a weakness that China could then exploit with the anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons it's certainly developing. Even the mere threat of downing the US satellite system could be enough to keep American out of a Chinese-Taiwanese war. China is also undertaking a crash program to exploit the benefits of space for itself. It's participating in a European rival to the GPS system, working on developing space launch technology, and generally preparing to make its own forays into space. When its technology is sufficient, China will almost certainly make an attempt at militarizing space for Chinese interests. The US is concerned about this, and wants to head Beijing off. Read More.....
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