Every American Needs To Know About Richistan ...

How we wish we could write as well as this man can.

But since we know full well that we can't - we won't try.

Better by far, we believe, that we tempt you with teasers & tasters to find out for yourselves the merit of this man's works.

Welcome to Richistan, USA

The American Dream of riches for all is turning into a nightmare of inequality.

But a backlash is brewing, reports Paul Harris in New York

Sunday July 22, 2007 -- 'The Observer'

That's some special header, eh?

Right then; read on.

... America's super-rich have returned to the days of the Roaring Twenties. As the rest of the country struggles to get by, a huge bubble of multi-millionaires lives almost in a parallel world.

The rich now live in their own world of private education, private health care and gated mansions. They have their own schools and their own banks. They even travel apart - creating a booming industry of private jets and yachts. Their world now has a name, thanks to a new book by Wall Street Journal reporter Robert Frank which has dubbed it 'Richistan'.

There every dream can come true. But for the American Dream itself - which promises everyone can join the elite - the emergence of Richistan is a mixed blessing. 'We in America are heading towards 'developing nation' levels of inequality. We would become like Brazil.

What does that say about us? What does that say about America?' Frank said.

(snip)

Even some of the most wealthy - like Gates and Buffett - have spoken openly of the needs to address the massive 'inequality gap' that they have come to exemplify.

In effect, some of the very richest Americans are calling for themselves to be taxed. In a speech last month Buffett - the third richest man in the world - pointed out that his tax rate was 17.7 per cent of his income while his secretary was taxed at 30 per cent.

'Many of the new super-rich are looking long term at the world and they see a collapsing US education system and health-care system and the disappearance of the middle class and they realise: this is bad for everybody,' said Frank.

(snip)

Have we hooked you yet?

We hope so.

Read all of this (ominous?) article.

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Bush Wants War Czar - But Nobody Wants To Know ...

Today, thanks to MSM we found this.

Gates announces longer tours in Iraq

By Pauline Jelinek, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Beginning immediately, all active-duty Army soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan will serve 15-month tours — three months longer than the usual standard, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday.

It was the latest move by the Pentagon to cope with the strains of fighting two wars simultaneously and maintaining a higher troop level in Iraq as part of President Bush's revised strategy for stabilizing Baghdad.
Read the rest here.

Then we found the following.

White House seeks war "czar" for Iraq

By Tabassum Zakaria - Washington (Reuters)

Help Wanted: White House seeks high-profile manager of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

In a tradition of presidential trouble-shooting, the White House is considering creating a "war czar" post in the National Security Council and has put out feelers to some retired generals to see if they would be interested.

But no takers so far.

The Washington Post said at least three retired four-star generals approached by the White House in recent weeks had turned down the position.

Retired Marine Gen. John "Jack" Sheehan, a former top NATO' name commander who rejected the White House overture, told the Post: "The very fundamental issue is, they don't know where the hell they're going."
Read the rest here.

So, perhaps the emperor does have some clothes; styled as above and worn at Waterloo.

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