From: an4215@anon.penet.fi
Subject:   Steven Scholosstein's
Organization: Anonymous contact service
X-Anonymously-To: alt.culture.indonesia
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 05:29:05 GMT


Steven Scholossstein, the writer of "The end of the American Century"

...This book is about America, a nation uncompromisingly committed to
freedom and liberty and open markets. Yet it is a nation that has seen
its standard of living decline, itslevel of industrial dominance
threatened by foreign competition, its political system infected by the
narrowness (and money) of special interests, its public education
systems plugued by low achievement, its families and children seared by
the emotional trauma of single parenthood and divorce, its society
ripped apart by drugs, its national defense weakened by fraud and mis-
management, and its position of global leadership increasingly open
to challenge-all in less than a generation's time....

...This book also about Asia; inevitably, Japan and the Little Dragons-
Korea, Taiwan, Hongkong, and Singapore-whose dramatic rates of economic
growth, soaring personal incomes, and aggressive trade and investment
strategies are forcing America to rethink its own free-market ideology....

...Indonesia...., aligning itself economically with East Asia rather than
politically with the Arabs. Together with Thailand and Malaysia,
Indonesia was industrializing rapidly now, to become one of Asia's
three new dragons....

...Not long ago, when President Reagan was on a state visit to the Vatican,
he spent considerable time, one-on-one, with the pope when he noticed
a gold telephone on the papal desk and asked what it was for.
Pope John Paul II told him it was his hot line to Heaven.
"I must talk with Him five or six times a day, " he said.
Intrigued, Reagan asked if he could give it a try.
"Of course," said the pope. "It's a direct dial, and we can arrange a
call immediately. But I should warn you, it costs $10,000 for the first
three minutes."
Reagan's eyebrows shot up.
"Since Americans have such strong feelings about the separation of
CHURCH (RELIGION) AND STATE, "THE PRESIDENT SAID, "I HAD BEST DECLINE.
I could get myself into real trouble spending taxpayers' money on a
phone call to God...."

...On visit to Tokyo, the president noticed a gold telephone on Nakasone's
desk, too, and asked him about it. He told Reagan it was his hot line to
Heaven. "Our rapid economic growth has created international problems that
only God can solve, "the prime minister said. "I  must talk Him five or
six times a day."
Intrigued, President Reagan asked if he could give it a try.
"But of course, Nakasone said. "It's a direct dial, and we can arrange
a call immediately. The nice thing is, it's only fifty yen for the
first three minutes."
"Only fifty yen!" the president exclaimed. "Why, from the Vatican it
costs $10,000."
"Yes, Mr. President,"said the PM softly. But from Japan it's just a local
call...."

Resource: The end of the American Century, Steven Schlossstein, 1989


SS

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