Have a look at this article in today's Guradian (UK). Right or wrong, it's certainly worth considering. How does the individual plan for security amid all this?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,...1740893,00.html

Nat

Forget about learning Spanish, we had best begin to learn how to speak Chinese. I always thought Republicans were fiscally responsible and concerned with international relations...I guess this misguided administration has proven that wrong! How many more days until the next presidential election? Oh, that's right, it can't come soon enough.

I don't think an individual can, except as part of a larger group.

I am not sure our 'national group' is even large enough - as a matter of fact I think we are in the process of proving that it is not.

We have serious problems.

We need serious, pragmatic, hard working people working at a national and international level to create a national and an international consensus.

We do not need ideologues who stick their heads in the sand.

Otherwise, learn to speak Chinese.

R

Chinese, or Hindi. The latter is an Indo-European language whose original source is Sanskrit, which is distantly related to Latin, Greek, Celtic, Ancient Slavic, etc. (and has drawn words from Dravidian, Turkish, Farsi, Arabic, Portugese and English), so its grammar and root words are graspable...if you can memorize the Devanagari alphabet. I assure you, it's easier than learning Chinese characters!