The Curmudgeon Chronicle -#195

THE CURMUDGEON CHRONICLE ©

AN IRREVERENT VIEW


Time Line: October 26, 2006
Date Line: Flemington New Jersey

I vote to change the National Motto from “In God We Trust” to “Nunc Vides; Nunc Nil Vides”, which translates roughly as, “Now You See It; Now You Don’t”.

At Duke University, US scientists report they have found a way to hide an object from microwave radiation; a first step to making an “invisibility cloak”. The device could be used to elude radar but there are no fixed limits to the research, or what the device will ultimately hide.

While our country may not graduate as many engineers as Korea or Singapore, (without help from Asia or India), we seem to develop theories (and produce new materials in the laboratory) that make science fact out of science fiction and give our industries a world class opportunity.

US industries outsource our jobs and say it is because we have lost our inventive edge and our youth has lost the capacity to excel in the sciences. They point to countries that graduate more engineers than we do and have higher test scores in math and science.

They never add that Chinese schools: don’t cost $40,000 per semester for attendance; their text books are not like the publishing industry’s trashy teaching materials unloaded on our kids; the Chinese economy is controlled and low costs for food, clothing, shelter, and health care make low wages possible, or that only the brightest of their students compete in those international tests.

Lower labor cost takes US industry abroad for everything except US customers. As to what you get for the money, if you have ever been “customer serviced” from India you know the answer. US customers are wooed and coveted; they just aren’t employed by the guys who decide where jobs will go.

Industry’s track record indicates that the invisibility concept will be licensed for short term profit and its execution outsourced. As for opportunities for young scientists and technical workers in the United States, “nunc vides; nunc nil vides”.

One cannot forget: “weapons of mass destruction” and victory speeches on aircraft carriers. Today we are told that there will be “changes in tactics but not in strategy”. The administration is feeding us the ninth version of why we are at war in Iraq. The first eight were not true and neither is the ninth. However much they deserve to be chastised, there may be a reprieve from punishment for the administration.

If they can speed up the time for perfection of an invisibility cloak there will be no need for apologies, crocodile tears or a tenth version. The administration can give each of its key players a cloak and: “nunc vides; nunc nil vides”.

Finally we note that the death of Kenneth Lay has terminated his conviction as a felon. Here is an example of how the new National Motto will serve this country. Whenever a dewy eyed student asks, “How can that be?” all the teacher has to do is exhibit a dollar bill, point to the motto and say, “nunc vides; nunc nil vides”.

By the way, if we continue along the present fiscal course we are on, that will be true of the money too.

H. S.