re 美國負了一萬四千三百萬億元的國債

Here are some exchanges btwn myself and Space re his Friday, May 20, 2011 blog article entitled "你用膳 我付鈔？"
(http://mindnecessity.blogspot.com/2011/05/us14300000000000000-hk10440000000000000.html)

Haricot 微豆 said...
>> .... 美國是要在國內國外的巨額花費，去保衛民主，保持民主，保留民主，今天美國負了一萬四千三百萬億元的國債，可見民主是一個花費金錢的主義，民主選票是由要用鬪派得錢多，爭回來換回來買回來的....

There is no doubt the US economy is in bad shape and one can come up with many reasons, but I do not believe保衛民主，保持民主，保留民主are the key ones. A country's foreign policy involves more than fighting for ideology. Even during the height of the Cold War, when the US and its allies were fighting against communism, politicians knew they were fighting to preserve not just western style democracy but also control of the world's economy, resources and power. In that sense, it is similar to what China is doing now!!!

Haricot 微豆 said...
>> .... 全世界最大的民主國家 = 全世界最高的負債國家

Are you generalizing then that 民主 is equated with 負債 (i.e. not a good thing)?

I would submit that the United States' political system and its national/foreign debts cannot and should not be linked/represented by a one-one, cause-result type of simple equation.

In terms of population, I believe India is the largest democracy in the world.

Haricot 微豆 said...
>> ... 但是中國卻是美國國債的最大持有者（約23%），中國人民暫時沒有享受到美式民主，而美國也沒有償還的意願，即是：“你用膳 我付鈔？”

When China agreed to become the "lender", there was no stipulations as to how the US should or should not spend the borrowed money. So, I do not understand your logic: 中國人民暫時沒有享受到美式民主 ... “你用膳 我付鈔？”

It would have been very different if you had lent money to Uncle Sam, and had stipulated that 中國人民要享受到美式民主 in return !!!

the inner space said...
哈哈哈 Hari 兄：我只是說用錢去爭回來換回來買回來的民主不是真的民主。若你間接承認了美國的民主是用錢爭回來換回來買回來，哈哈哈哈哈哈！我也無話可說了！

the inner space said...
哈哈哈哈 Hari 兄：
全世界最大的民主國家 = 全世界最高的負債國家

我是由英文翻譯出來的 Highest democratic country = highest debt country

讓我改正翻譯：
全世界最高度民主的國家 = 全世界最高負債的國家

the inner space said...
哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈！hari 兄：“你用膳 我付鈔？”是中國人常講的話，意思不用細表矣。

而我寫：
中國卻是美國國債的最大持有者（約23%），中國人民暫時沒有享受到美式民主，而美國也沒有償還的意願，即是：“你用膳 我付鈔？”

最尾尾是個問號？
我是想不出道理來呢，遂向各方好友網友發問，祈望若有所悟，不嫌棄告訴我個中緣因。

Haricot 微豆 said...
Finally, I am not an economist and will let experts in that field to explain the root causes of the reported US$14,300,000,000,000,000 debt.

Just like the restructuring of a corporation that is close to bankruptcy, the share-holders, the lenders and the borrower will all have to come up with acceptable financial measures, as well as new terms and conditions.

I believe it is irrelevant to refer to the past lend-borrow transaction as 你用膳 我付鈔？because there were no stipulations on how the money should be spent.

However, it may be fair to use the 你用膳 我付鈔？challenge now as part of the pre-conditions for restructuring the debts.

But then, the US is not exactly like Greece !!

the inner space said...
哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈！ Hari 兄：
我在伸延閱覽做的其中一個連結：美國國債
有以下的資料：

財政年度末。美國國債十億美元
1950 。。。。257.4
1960 。。。。290.2
1970 。。。。389.2
1980 。。。。930.2
1990 。。。。3,233
2000 。。。。5,674
2005 。。。。7,933
2007 。。。。9,008
2008 。。。。10,024.7
2009 。。。。11,910
2010 。。。。13,562

可供閣下參考，看出有甚麽端倪！

re: 60歲之前唔俾女人食飽飯

I left the following comments with Fresh Designer's 2011年5月19日 blog entitled "天生絶配!" (http://freshdesigner.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_19.html):

Fresh Designer: ....老一輩的男人講過: 60歲之前唔俾女人食飽飯 ...

Haricot:

I think it was all abt control and power, similar to hostage taking.

In the old days, if a woman, as hostage to the man/husband/master, was always dependent on the latter for food, and by extension, lodging, comfort, and security, then the risk of the woman running away was much reduced.

I suppose a woman older than 60 would not be considered as "marketable" anymore and therefore not a flight risk. Beside, most men started to die off after 60 and they would need their women to help look after the family lineages and other affairs.

Those were the days !!