How are you are you coming to the convention next year?

Absolutely true that "things have changed" - but the individual cases you have witnessed does not make it "inaccurate", some if not most does not passed through the crack. The case in point is that Phillipine scholar who come to study in the US are required by the sponsoring school that the student goes back and render two years of service for every year spent in the US or foreign school, but some prefer to pay $$$$$ amount not to go back. The Philippine government has instituted thru the Department of Education some sort of built in contract to "force" the student to go back - to prevent "brain drain" which most of the Third World countries are suffering, lost their "intellectuals" to the highly developed countries,

In my case way back in 1965 when I was about to finished my graduate studies in economics in New York - I converted my student visa to permanent immigrant. I used my education as my reason to apply for status change, but I went back to my school to serve my time and came back to the US to stay.

Recently I have focused my studies on the impact on the average family with the meltdown of financial institutions all over the world. I tend to agree that this "problem" will last for a long while, the bigger problem is, can these families sustained to the next 9 months to one year when the monetary policies that has been implemented run its course. You have read in the papers about how the "bailout fund" come to a stops and not pass on to where they are needed or is it not enough. There are varied opinions on the how and when and what solutions, but there is no doubt how it started, where and which sector in the US economy.

Everybody is aware that the impact on the economy and society of fiscal policies are almost always immediate to some extent. But what happened to the first Economic Stimulus it just dissapated, did not make a dent on the problem - "bandaid effect" and Congress is considering a second stimulus package.

But America will get through this maze no doubt - with bruises (from the US critics and the would be leaders in global geopolitics).

Have a good day Jason!

Leonidas