Simon,

I fully understand there are people who don't care about the outcome of the presidential election in the United States. Or are bored with it all.

However, from all indications, more people worldwide are following this American election than any other in U.S. political history. For those of us who feel it important that we address it now, knowing full well that folks wanting to read about China and East Asia will stay away from our sites posthaste, I want to just politely nudge ya and say, hey, why pick on us publicly? We're just doing what comes natural. In 30 days we'll be writing about China and every other thing Asian again.

Of course, some visiters may never come back to read it. But that's what makes things go 'round and 'round and keeps us sharp.

All the best,

Joseph

"China and Japan are hostages of their large US dollar holdings."

Very accurate judgment! Many entrepreneurs believe that the peg is *hurting*.

History reminds us that all great empires couldn't believe they failed.

Cheers!

Joseph: I understand the intense interest in the election campaign. My point is in the interim there's plenty else going on in the world. Secondly and more likely to upset you, there is in fact little difference in the policy substance between Bush and Kerry; the differences are one of style.

If only that were true, Simon. Kerry has been a long time deficit hawk (he's my Senator) and Bush promised 4 years ago that his tax cuts wouldn't create a deficit. I knew Bush was lying through his teeth and in 4 years he's taken a public surplus and turned it in to a half-trillion dollar yearly deficit.

Move a half-trillion dollars a year from the private investment zone to the public treasuries and it will create substantial differences...

Tom: do you really think Kerry can make all his promises and hope to reign in the deficit. It will come down to reducing the deficit OR fulfilling his promises, as it will for Bush. So again, they are effectively the same, it's just that Bush has already shown his preference for spending whereas Kerry might actually do something about the deficit. Then again, he might not.

I am an American and the election of Kerry will have grave implications for Taiwan, a nation I have come to care about. Kerry is insane enough to actually promote the "one country two systems" method, where as George W. Bush at least wants to maintain the status quo.

I am neither Democrat nor Republican and usually do not care much for politics, but this time around, the stakes are just too high to ignore.