[cmccuist]

Old Europe is not contributing to the world community in proportion to the amount of influence they have. They are bogged down with huge socialist stlye governments and are mostly content with taking care of their own while letting the US do the heavy lifting.

My parents recently returned from a trip to Hungary, Poland and Romania and they couldn't belive how educated the people were there working in service sector jobs. Guys with PHD's waiting tables and such.

Also, there was a recent seminar I attended where one of Bechtel's project managers talked about his work in Kazahkstan. The Kazakians (sp) are educated, speak multiple languages (their alphabet has like 150 letters for cryin' out loud) and are motivated now that they aren't beat down by communism. They have known oil reserves of 18 billion bbls with the potential of 70 billion bbls (middle east reserves are 250 billion bbls).

My point is that there are educated people out there who, given a chance, will be the engine for world-wide prosperity. Old Europe is going the other way. Refusing to recognize thier falling birth rate and socialist programs are draining the life out of thier countries.