VOASE0407_People In America

07 April 2007

John Kenneth Galbraith, 1908-2006: He Strongly Influenced Economic Thought in the United States for Many Years

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VOICE ONE:

I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Barbara Klein with PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English. Economics is a field based on mathematics. Yet it cannot provide answers to every problem. Some people question whether economics is a science at all.

For many years, possibly the loudest critic was himself an economist, John Kenneth Galbraith.

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VOICE ONE:

John Kenneth Galbraith

John Kenneth Galbraith was an economist, liberal thinker, author, professor, presidential advisor and ambassador. He. stood over two meters tall. He was excellent at arguing positions and making complex ideas understandable. These two qualities made Mister Galbraith a powerful personality able to influence people at the highest levels of government.

He was also a productive writer and an effective critic of many popular ideas of his time. For some, he was an easy person to dislike. He was very sure of himself and his arguments. Yet, he clearly influenced the economic ideas of many people, including politicians and presidents.

VOICE TWO:

John Kenneth Galbraith was born on a farm near Iona Station, Canada in nineteen-oh-eight. It was a long way from the East Coast of the United States and the political power centers he would come to influence. He learned about politics from his father, William Archibald Galbraith, who was a farmer. He also served in many local government positions and was a community leader. John once said that his mother, Sarah Catherine Kendall Galbraith, wanted him to be a farmer also. But she died when he was fourteen.

VOICE ONE:

Young John first studied agriculture at Ontario Agricultural College. But he soon found economics more interesting. His studies led him to the University of California at Berkeley. He got a doctorate degree in agricultural economics in nineteen thirty-four.

In his early years, Mister Galbraith was greatly influenced by the economist Thorstein Veblen and his book, "The Theory of the Leisure Class." Mister Veblen argued that people gathered wealth for the purpose of "conspicuous consumption." He meant that people earned money to spend on valuable things to gain respect in society.

Mister Galbraith said he was also deeply affected by the economic disaster that was expanding around him and across the country: The Great Depression.

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The Great Depression severely affected the American economy and society. At the height of the Depression, at least one in five Americans did not have a job.

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VOICE TWO:

Mister Galbraith became an instructor at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In nineteen thirty-seven, he became an American citizen. He married Catherine Atwater, the daughter of a New York lawyer. They later had four sons.

John Maynard Keynes

That year, Mister Galbraith also went to England to study under the most influential economist of the twentieth century. John Maynard Keynes was teaching at Cambridge University at the time.

He had published the "General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money" the year before. Mister Keynes argued that deep economic crises required strong measures by the government. He said large public works projects and government price controls were needed to increase employment during economic downturns.

VOICE ONE:

In nineteen thirty-nine, John Kenneth Galbraith began working for the government. He joined the National Defense Advisory Committee in Washington. He later was in charge of controlling prices for the Office of Price Administration.

Mister Galbraith held the powerful position of top price controller in the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In nineteen forty-three, however, he was forced to resign from the job. Later, he would say that he had been ousted by the politics of price control.

The same year, Mister Galbraith started writing for Fortune magazine, which was owned by noted conservative Henry Luce. Mister Galbraith developed into a highly skilled writer. Even his strongest critic praised his writing ability, even if they did not agree with what he wrote.

VOICE TWO:

Near the end of World War Two, Mister Galbraith took part in the Strategic Bombing survey. The study was meant to measure the effectiveness of the American bombing campaign against Germany. He angered many people by saying that the bombing had done little to halt the German war effort. He found the Germans had simply moved industrial operations to new places after the bombing.

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VOICE ONE :

In nineteen fifty-eight, Mister Galbraith published his most famous book,"The Affluent Society." He argued that while private individuals in America were becoming wealthier, public institutions were growing poor. He criticized the American culture that he said was rich in goods but poor in social services.

Mister Galbraith also used the term "conventional wisdom" in the book. This term describes an idea that everyone accepts as true, but is not closely considered or examined.

"The Affluent Society" created a lot of discussion at the time. Critics said the book forced the nation to reexamine its values. It is still considered an excellent example of reasoning and writing.

VOICE TWO:

Mister Galbraith was also involved in politics, which was unusual for an economist. He

Mister Galbraith speaking with President John F. Kennedy

wrote speeches for Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson during two campaigns in the nineteen fifties. Mister Galbraith later became a trusted adviser to President John F. Kennedy.

President Kennedy appointed him ambassador to India in nineteen sixty-one. Thirty years later, Mister Galbraith received India's second-highest civilian honor for his work to strengthen ties between India and the United States.

VOICE ONE

The years working for the Kennedy Administration were happy times. But on November twenty-second, nineteen sixty-three, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

Vice President Lyndon Johnson took office after the tragedy. Mister Galbraith had good relations with the new president and became an adviser. But that lasted only until the war in Vietnam became the biggest issue in the United States. Mister Galbraith opposed the involvement of the United States in the war. He spoke about that time.

SOUND: "I liked Lyndon Johnson very much. And I respected him as a man who combined intelligence with a will to action--a wonderful combination. And so breaking with him in the mid to late sixties on the issue of Vietnam was something I regretted very much."

Public opposition to the war in Vietnam caused President Johnson not to seek another term in office. The issue of the war caused Mister Galbraith to become active in politics again. He supported the anti-war presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy.

He even nominated Mister McCarthy at the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago, Illinois, in nineteen sixty-eight. Mister Galbraith would later say: "I was more strongly moved by the need for opposition to Vietnam than any other major issue of my lifetime."

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VOICE TWO:

In the years after the Vietnam War, Ken Galbraith put his energy into writing. He debated conservative thinkers such as his friend William F. Buckley, Junior. And he continued to advise Democratic Presidents.

In nineteen ninety-six, his book "The Good Society" was published. It was an update of his book "The Affluent Society." He wrote that his earlier concerns had worsened. The United States had become even more a place for the wealthy, or a "democracy of the fortunate."

John Kenneth Galbraith receives the Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton

In all, he wrote more than thirty books during his career. In two thousand, President Bill Clinton recognized Mister Galbraith's service by awarding him the Medal of Freedom.

VOICE ONE:

John Kenneth Galbraith died in two thousand six at the age of ninety-seven. William F. Buckley said his friend was more interested in the social and ethical questions related to economics. Mister Galbraith's books lack the mathematical and statistical research found in most works on economics. Yet they remain excellent examples of thinking about social responsibility and ethics.

One of his most famous criticisms of his profession was this: "Economics is extremely useful as a form of employment for economists."

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VOICE TWO:

This program was written and produced by Mario Ritter. You can download this program and others from our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Barbara Klein.

VOICE ONE:

And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English.

Pope Carries Cross at Good Friday Procession

By Sabina Castelfranco Rome 06 April 2007

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For the second year, Pope Benedict led the traditional Way of the Cross procession in Rome's ancient Coliseum. Thousands took part in the solemn ceremony. For VOA, Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome.

Pope Benedict XVI holds the wooden cross next to a torch, during the Via Crucis torchlight procession on Good Friday in front of the Colosseum in Rome, 6 Apr 2007

Pope Benedict carried the cross at the start and the end of the Way of the Cross procession at the Coliseum in Rome. The procession at the ancient Roman amphitheater is a tradition on Good Friday that commemorates the suffering of Jesus before his crucifixion.

Speaking at the start of the procession, Pope Benedict said that recalling the steps of Jesus in the last hours of his earthly life would be a voyage in pain, in solitude, in cruelty, in evil and in death, but also a journey in faith, hope and in love.

A large crowd of faithful carrying candles turned out for the event, including many of the pilgrims who come to the Italian capital for Holy Week. They watched as the cross was carried for 14 stations.

Pope Benedict said the sepulcher of the last stop would not remain sealed forever. After the evening, in the dawn of Easter, the light of joy will rise, and silence will be replaced by the word of life, and death will be replaced by the resurrection.

Earlier in the afternoon, Benedict presided over the Passion of the Lord service in St. Peter's Basilica, which lasted more than two hours.

The papal household's official preacher read out a lengthy homily in which he made several references to the role of women and said they should not try to erase the differences between genders.

The preacher said that women, in order to assert their dignity, have at times felt the need to take on male attitudes or to minimize the differences between sexes. The papal preacher said that there is reason to hope that humanity will finally enter an era of the woman: an era of heart and compassion.

On Saturday evening Pope Benedict will celebrate an Easter vigil mass and on Sunday he will deliver his "Urbi et Orbi" - to the city and the world - blessing and message.

Freed British Sailors Tell of Ordeal in Iran Detention

By Sonja Pace London 06 April 2007

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A day after returning home from nearly two weeks' captivity in Iran, some of the 15 British sailors and marines spoke openly about their ordeal - of being kept in isolation, blindfolded, hearing guns cocked behind their heads, being threatened with prison sentences and used for propaganda. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from London.

British sailors answer reporters' questions during press conference in London, 06 Apr 2007

After a day of family reunions, some of the navy crew captured by Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces faced the microphones and TV cameras back in Britain to tell their story.

"Good afternoon, my name is Captain Chris Air, Royal Marines. Myself and the gentleman on my left, Lt. Felix Carman are now going to read our statement," he said.

And the story Captain Air, Lt. Carman and the others told varied greatly from the photos shown on Iranian television over the past two weeks - of the sailors smiling, chatting, playing chess and seemingly apologetic for allegedly having strayed into Iranian territorial waters.

"We were blindfolded, stripped of all our kit [equipment] and led to a room, where I declared myself as the officer in charge, and was introduced to their local commander," he recalled.

Lt. Carmen described events immediately after the crew and their two small boats were surrounded by Iranian forces and taken to a local base. The treatment, he said got worse once they were transferred to Tehran.

"We were blindfolded, our hands were bound. We were forced up against a wall. Throughout our ordeal, we faced constant psychological pressure," he said. "Later, we were stripped and dressed in pajamas. The next few nights were spent in stone cells, all of us were kept in isolation. We were interrogated most nights, and presented with two options - if we admitted we'd strayed [into Iranian waters], we'd be back in a plane to the U.K. pretty soon. If we didn't we faced up to seven years in prison."

Carman said a general consensus emerged that they would talk, and, to some extent, go along with their captors, without revealing any operational details.

Iranian state-run Al-Alam television image of detained British sailors, 30 Mar. 2007

He said, toward the end of their detention, they were allowed some time together - in front of the Iranian media.

The one woman in the group, Faye Turney, was separated from the rest of the crew from the start, and told the others had all been released. She was the first captive shown on Iranian television. She did not take part in Friday's news conference.

The crew's capture March 23 sparked a diplomatic standoff and high-level discussions between London and Tehran. Iran maintains the British sailors were in Iranian waters when detained, British authorities insist the crew was in Iraqi waters.

British PM Tony Blair delivers a speech outside No. 10 Downing Street in central London, 05 Apr 2007

In the end, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he was giving a "gift" to the British people, when he announced the sailors' release on Wednesday, indicating Iran succeeded in sending its warning. And, in London Prime Minister Tony Blair said Britain had prevailed though a mix of dialogue and diplomatic pressure, a strategy he said the international community should continue to use with Iran when discussing other issues, such as the situation in Iraq or Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Experts Warn Climate Change Could Hit World's Poor the Hardest

By Teri Schultz Brussels 06 April 2007

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It took a contentious all-night session to bridge gaps between scientists and policy-makers, but participants at a U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change conference in Brussels emerged with a document that warns of dire consequences from global warming. Teri Schultz has the details for VOA from Brussels.

The climate change panel's final report doesn't require governments to pass any laws, spend any money or take any action to combat global warming… but what scientists in the working group consider great progress is that now, the some 130 governments who approved the document agree, global warming is happening on every continent.

Martin Parry, left, presents report on climate change at EU Charlemagne building in Brussels, 06 Apr 2007

One of the co-authors of the International Panel on Climate Change report, Martin Parry, says this is a significant milestone.

"That's an important conclusion really because for the first time, we're not arm-waving 'This might happen.' It's what we call empirical information on the ground - we can measure it," he said.

And what scientists have concluded is that the situation is worse than previously thought. Glaciers are melting, desert land is increasing and the world's temperature is gradually rising - most of which the IPCC panel attributes to carbon-dioxide emissions caused by humans - all of which can increase human suffering.

Poor populations, already fragile, will be the worst-affected, Martin Parry warns, especially in the areas of food supply and health.

"Any amount of warming is going to decrease yields and that is exactly what we don't want," he said. "We've got 500 million hungry people in the world today, according to the FAO, and those numbers are likely to increase as a result of climate change."

According to the report, rising temperatures also threaten up to 30 percent of the species around the world with an increased risk of extinction.

Some scientists complained on the sidelines of the meeting that governments had been allowed to water down the scientific findings, but Parry says getting the policy-makers to sign on to the document is of vital importance.

"Painful it may be but it creates the intergovernmental agreed baseline of information," he said. "We may not be right at the frontiers but we consolidate what we truly know."

In May, the panel will produce a similar report on how humans can help to avert the worst effects of climate change.

VOASE0406_In the News

06 April 2007

Presidential Candidates Raise Record Amounts of Money for Campaigns
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama lead all candidates in fundraising.

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This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

The next presidential election in the United States is in November, two thousand eight. Yet several presidential candidates have raised large amounts of money already. Experts say the competition among the candidates to raise money has become the first important test of the campaign.

Senator Barack Obama

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama announced this week that his campaign has raised twenty-five million dollars over the past three months.

More than one hundred thousand people have given money to the senator from Illinois for his campaign. Thousands of people made donations of twenty-five or fifty dollars. Almost seven million dollars was raised on the Internet.

Senator Obama has raised only slightly less money than Senator Hillary Clinton of New York. She has received twenty-six million dollars in campaign donations. The former first lady's donations came from fifty thousand people. Senator Clinton has so far raised more money than any other presidential candidate.

Senator Hillary Clinton

Public opinion studies show Senator Clinton has more support than the other Democratic candidates. However, experts say the amount of money Senator Obama has raised shows that he is a major candidate.

Mister Obama is second among the Democratic candidates in public opinion studies. Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards is in third place. Mister Edwards' campaign reported raising fourteen million dollars so far.

This is the second time Mister Edwards has run for the Democratic nomination for president. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have been the subjects of many news reports recently. This is because they announced that that they will continue campaigning even though Elizabeth Edwards' cancer has returned.

Mitt Romney

Among Republican Party candidates, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has raised twenty-three million dollars. Thirty-three thousand people have donated to Mister Romney's campaign. This is more money than any other Republican candidate.

This was a surprise to many people because Mister Romney is in third place among Republican candidates in most public opinion studies. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Senator John McCain are in first and second place. Mister Giuliani has raised fifteen million dollars so far this year. Mister McCain has raised twelve and one-half million dollars.

Never in American history has so much money been raised this early in a presidential election. Many states are holding their nominating party meetings and primary elections earlier in two thousand eight. This will force candidates to spend more money earlier on advertising and campaign workers.

Experts also note that the Democratic presidential candidates have raised much more money than the Republicans. Historically, the Republican candidates have raised the most money.

And that's IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I’m Steve Ember.

G宝盘系统优化中。。。

今天，G宝盘进行系统优化，PoEngish在那的资料空间无法进入了。
所以，往期的资料没法下载了。
好在PoEnglish有个Google的空间，今天的内容都放在那。

对于G宝盘进行系统优化，我是欢迎的。
但，维护造成空间停用，会给很多用户造成不便影响，尤其是像我这样已经付费的正式用户。
希望几天后看到的是优化一新的G宝盘

US Defense Secretary Warns of Massive Bloodshed in Iraq if US Military Operations Curtailed

By Michael Bowman Washington 05 April 2007

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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says restricting U.S. military operations in Iraq could unleash massive bloodshed among the country's warring factions. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington, where leaders of the opposition-led Congress are threatening to cut off most forms of military spending in Iraq if President Bush does not agree to a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from the country.

Robert Gates (l) and Gen. Peter Pace brief reporters at the Pentagon, 05 Apr 2007

Secretary Gates issued the latest verbal salvo in an increasingly fierce power struggle between America's executive and legislative branches of government over the future of U.S. military involvement in Iraq.

Speaking on a domestic radio program Thursday, Gates warned of "ethnic cleansing inside Baghdad or in Iraq more broadly," if U.S. troops curtail operations in the strife-ridden nation.

Speaking with reporters at the Pentagon hours later, the secretary used somewhat milder language, but his point was the same.

"I believe that if we were to precipitously withdraw from Baghdad at this point, there would be a dramatic increase in sectarian violence," he said.

Gates said, prematurely winding down U.S. military operations would allow bands of murderers to roam free in Iraq.

"Those who are being tortured and being killed are being killed by death squads," he said. "By hit squads. This is not a large number of people turning out onto the streets and killing each other."

"These are targeted killings by relatively small numbers of people, in an attempt to stoke the sectarian violence, and, frankly, to make the Baghdad security plan fail - by hampering the reconciliation process," he added.

The Pentagon says it needs a new infusion of funds within weeks to continue the war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both houses of the Democratic Party-controlled Congress have passed emergency spending bills that provide the money, but also establish dates for withdrawing U.S. forces.

President Bush says he will veto any bill that sets a timetable for a troop pullout. Democratic leaders have responded by pressing for even-starker legislation that would cut off funding for most forms of military operations in Iraq.

Many Democrats say U.S. efforts in Iraq have failed. But President Bush maintains that his current plan, increasing the number of U.S. troops in Baghdad and one of Iraq's violence-plagued provinces, is beginning to show some positive signs.

Appearing next to Secretary Gates was the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace.

The general said the troop build-up is on schedule, and will be completed by June. Secretary Gates said he is hopeful that the security plan for Iraq will succeed, thereby bolstering Iraq's fledging government. But he added, "there is a great reluctance to engage in 'happy talk.'"

Egyptian Man to Sue Over CIA Rendition From Italy

By Sabina Castelfranco Rome 05 April 2007

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The lawyer of an Egyptian imam, believed to have been illegally abducted from Milan in 2003 by the CIA, has been in Italy to meet with Italian prosecutors. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome the lawyer gathered information about an upcoming trial in which his client may lodge a civil case.

Montasser Al-Zayat (file photo)

Montasser Al-Zayat, the lawyer of Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, has been in Italy for a week. He has been trying to learn more about a trial which opens June 8 in Milan.

The trial is the first in Europe for a case of what is alleged to have been an extraordinary rendition, the CIA practice of taking an individual from a foreign country to hand him over to another nation for questioning.

Italian prosecutors say Abu Omar was kidnapped from the streets of Milan in February 2003, and flown to Egypt where he says he was interrogated and tortured. At the time, Italian authorities say he was under investigation for allegedly recruiting Muslim men to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Italian prosecutors have indicted 26 Americans, most believed to be CIA agents thought to have been involved in the rendition operation, and a number of Italian secret service officials, including the former chief of intelligence.

Lawyer Al Zayat said he would be back for the trial when it opens, but that it was useful for him to come now.

"This trip was very useful because I did not have sufficient information on the upcoming trial. But now I am clearer and have more details on the cases, which regard Abu Omar, the one in which he is the victim and the one for which he is under investigation," he said.

Al Zayat said he met with Armando Spataro, the leading Italian prosecutor in the case. Spataro has wanted to speak to Abu Omar, but Egyptian authorities have not responded to his requests.

Egyptian cleric Osama Hassan Mustafa Nasr, known as Abu Omar, shows a dark scar on his arm during his first public appearance since he was released from Egyptian custody, 22 Feb 2007

The Egyptian lawyer said he wants to give back Abu Omar his dignity, and safeguard his interests and rights. He also would like to see the case that involves the investigation into the activities of Abu Omar to be closed in the interest of his client and in the interest of the Italian state.

Lawyer Walid Mohamed represents Abu Omar's interests in Italy. He says he has sent a letter to the Italian government requesting that damages be paid for the kidnapping, but did not say how much Abu Omar was seeking. He said he would prefer to settle out of court, but was prepared to lodge a civil case.

For the time being, Abu Omar cannot leave Egypt because the authorities have confiscated his passport. But Mohamed said he thinks Abu Omar will eventually be able to return.

The lawyer said he does not believe that the Egyptian state is interested in permanently keeping Abu Omar in Egypt or barring him from leaving the country.

Mohamed added that Abu Omar is firm in his desire to return to Italy because he wants to show that he is innocent and that he was never involved in illegal activity. If the imam does return, Italian authorities would arrest him on suspicion of terrorist association.

Court Rulings Cast Shadow Over Crucial Vote in Nigeria

By Sarah Simpson Abuja 05 April 2007

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Vice President Atiku Abubakar is battling in the Nigerian courts to get his name on ballot slips for a crucial presidential poll on April 21. But after two courts this week issued divergent rulings, it looks increasingly unlikely that the matter will be resolved before voting day, casting a pall over the forthcoming ballot. Sarah Simpson has more from Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

Atiku Abubakar, 3 Apr 2007

Less than three weeks before election day, Vice President Atiku Abubakar is fighting in the courts to get his name back on the presidential ballot.

The April 21 polls are a crucial milestone for this unruly, oil-rich nation, marking the first time that power will pass from one elected civilian head of state to another. But Abubakar's series of unresolved court battles are throwing a shadow over the polls.

Abubakar, who was viewed as a leading contender for the presidency, was last month barred from running as a presidential candidate by the Independent National Electoral Commission - the body organizing the forthcoming polls. The commission said Abubakar could not stand because he is facing corruption charges.

This week, two Nigerian courts issued seemingly conflicting decisions regarding Abubakar's candidacy.

First, the Court of Appeal - Nigeria's second highest court - ruled Tuesday that the electoral commission has the power to remove candidates from the ballot for crimes, including corruption.

But later the same day, the lower Federal High Court ruled that Abubakar's name should be put back on the ballot as the panel that found the vice president guilty of corruption was not lawful.

Both decisions are to be appealed.

At a news conference in the capital, Abuja, Abubakar said that he would abide by the final decisions of the courts, even if their ruling is not in his favor.

"Of course, if that is the decision of the court, I will accept, why not," he said.

But it is uncertain whether the argument will be resolved before polling day, less than three weeks away.

The chairman of the electoral commission, Maurice Iwu, has repeatedly said that the polls will not be rescheduled or delayed.

A report by U.S.-based Human Rights Watch this week said that efforts to bar Abubakar have thrown doubt over how fair the polls will be.

Abubakar says that the electoral commission is partisan and is being used by his foe, President Olusegun Obasanjo, to destroy his presidential ambitions, threatening democracy.

"Our democracy is in serious trouble," he said. "Our democracy has been bastardized and turned into a government of one man by one man and for one man."

The president and vice president had a very public falling-out after Abubakar openly condemned a bid to change the constitution, which could have enabled President Obasanjo to run for a third term in office.

Umaru Yar'Adua, 30 March 2007

Obasanjo is backing a little-known northern governor, Umaru Yar'Adua, as ruling party candidate and his favored successor.

At a prior news conference, Yar'Adua told reporters that he is confident that the Nigerian courts could resolve the matter, and would do so in accordance with Nigerian law.

"What is really important is that we get the rule of law to be established and be respected and the personalities involved should take second place," he said.

Elections for state governors are to take place April 14. Presidential polls will be held a week later.

There are about 61 million registered voters in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation. There are only 15 days left to produce and distribute ballot sheets, with or without Abubakar's name on them.

VOASE0405_Economics Report

05 April 2007

Economic Conditions: Trying to Read the Future
The Conference Board publishes leading economic indicators for the United States and several other countries.

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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Economics and weather have a lot in common. Knowing what conditions will be like weeks or months in the future is not easy. One thing that helps economists predict the future is the index of leading economic indicators.

An index is a way to measure changes in a group of numbers over time. In financial markets, for example, an index of stocks will rise or fall with changes in the wider market. The changes measured by an index can be represented with a single percentage.

The index may start at a base period of time with a value of one hundred. Now say that a month later the value is recorded as one hundred one. That means it gained one percent. If the index lost one percent, however, the value would be ninety-nine.

The leading economic indicators are really ten indexes. Four deal with manufacturing activity. One deals with unemployment claims. Another measures people’s expectations of the economy. Still others involve financial information like the money supply and interest rates.

The index of leading indicators is just one of the tools used to measure the business cycle. Business cycles are the normal changes that happen in economic growth over time.

A measure called the coincident index provides information about current conditions. Employment rates are an important part of it. There is also a lagging index. It helps confirm economic changes that currently appear to be taking place. Interest rates are an important lagging indicator.

The Conference Board publishes economic indicators for the United States. The Conference Board is a non-profit organization based in New York. It brings together business leaders to learn new ideas from one another. It has member companies around the world.

The Conference Board also does economic research. Its work helps show business and government leaders what conditions might be ahead.

But this group did not always produce the index of leading economic indicators. It took over the job in nineteen ninety-five from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, part of the Commerce Department.

The Conference Board also publishes economic indicators for Australia, France, Germany and Japan. Others are Britain, Mexico, South Korea and Spain.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. Read and listen to our reports at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0405_American Mosaic

05 April 2007

A Small Horse and a Big Goal: Raising $1 Million for Groups That Aid Children
Also: learn about the water sport of wakeboarding. And a listener in China asks about singer and actress Hilary Duff.

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Bob Doughty. On our show this week:

We answer a question about singer and actress Hilary Duff …

Tell about a young woman who does an exciting water sport ...

And report about the world's smallest living horse.

Thumbelina

HOST:

An extremely rare animal named Thumbelina is traveling around the United States this year. The goal of the trip is to try to raise one million dollars for organizations that aid children. Last summer, Guinness World Records named Thumbelina the world's smallest living horse. Faith Lapidus tells us more.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

Thumbelina next to an average size horse

Thumbelina is forty-four and one-half centimeters tall. She weighs less than twenty-six kilograms. Because she is such an unusual creature, Thumbelina could easily be the center of attention in a circus or zoo.

Instead, her owners are taking her to visit forty-eight states. She is appearing at children's hospitals, stores, schools, horse shows, camps and fairs. Thumbelina already has raised more than ten thousand dollars for children's aid groups. She is popular with both children and adults.

Thumbelina is a kind of small horse called a miniature horse. But she has an abnormal gene that made about her half the size of a normal miniature horse.

Thumbelina is named for a woman in a story by the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. The woman was the size of a person's thumb, the short, thick finger on a person's hand.

Kay and Paul Goessling own Thumbelina. They keep the little horse at their Goose Creek Farms in Saint Louis, Missouri. They raise miniature horses to sell and show at competitions. Their son, Michael Goessling, cares for Thumbelina.

The little horse is five years old. At birth, she weighed less than four kilograms. The family thought she might not survive. Today, she sometimes wears leg supports to keep her legs straight. Michael Goessling says they expect Thumbelina to live about seventeen years.

When Thumbelina is home, Michael Goessling says she does not spend much time with the other horses. Instead, she plays with the family's dogs. She also sleeps in a doghouse. Two times a day, Thumbelina eats a cup of grain and a handful of hay.

Her owners say Thumbelina will not have any babies. They want to protect the health of their famous little horse. They say there will never be another Thumbelina.

Wakeboarding

HOST:

Dallas Friday was only thirteen years old when her mother took her to an expert teacher to learn to ride a wakeboard. Today, seven years later, Miz Friday has won many awards for this action-filled water sport. Shirley Griffith tells us more.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

Wakeboarding is similar to surfing and water skiing. Surfers stand on a board and try to ride it over the ocean waves. But wakeboarders hold onto a rope as they ride a board behind a specially equipped boat. The motion and speed of the boat create a "wake" in the water. The rider jumps, turns and twists over the wake.

Dallas Friday wakeboarding

Dallas Friday learned those skills on land, doing gymnastics at school. So she thought she might be good at wakeboarding. But at first, the expert did not want to teach her. He thought she was just a beginner. But then he watched Dallas perform in the water. The expert told her family that she could make a million dollars.

During the years since then, Dallas Friday has earned top honors in competitions. Last year, for example, she won the Wakeboard World Cup in China. She has bought several houses with her winnings. She has also paid a price in injuries. She returned to the water recently after breaking her leg in seven places.

Like Dallas Friday, some young adult wakeboarders compete for money. But children also wakeboard, and so do people older than sixty. Most take part in the sport just for fun.

Wakeboarding developed over a number of years, as people skilled at water sports experimented with their equipment. It took a big step forward in the nineteen eighties. At that time, two well-known sportsmen designed straps to hold a rider's feet onto the board.

About fifteen years ago, a sports company in the state of Florida started launching competitions for professional wakeboarders. Television sports channels showed some of the action.

Today, an estimated three million people ride wakeboards in the United States. They study which boats and boards work best. They read magazines like "Alliance Wakeboard." But mostly, like Dallas Friday, they love to fly over the water on their wakeboards.

Hilary Duff

HOST:

Our VOA listener question this week comes from China. Guo Xiaoyi wants to know about singer and actress Hilary Duff.

(MUSIC)

Hilary Duff is only nineteen years old. Yet she has had her own television show, appeared in movies and recorded albums. She also designs her own clothing line and has a perfume named after her.

Hilary Duff started appearing in local productions in her hometown of Houston, Texas. She moved to California with her mother and sister and appeared in several television commercials.

Her first major movie part was in "Casper Meets Wendy" in nineteen ninety-eight. Then she got the lead in a television show about a teenager named Lizzie McGuire. She appeared in the show from two thousand one until two thousand four. By that time, she had already recorded two albums of music.

In two thousand three, she appeared in three hit movies -- "Agent Cody Banks", "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" and "Cheaper By the Dozen." Here is a hit song from her album Metamorphosis -- “So Yesterday”.

(MUSIC)

Hilary Duff also works with an animal rights group and is involved with several aid organizations. She has given two hundred fifty thousand dollars to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina on the American Gulf coast. And she is still not even twenty years old!

We leave you now with another hit song from Hilary Duff. This one is from her new album "Dignity" that was just released this week. It is called “With Love.”

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Bob Doughty. Last week, we told you about the college men's basketball championship series called "March Madness." The final game was played Monday. The team from the University of Florida defeated the team from The Ohio State University to become the college basketball champion for the second year.

Last January, the Florida football team defeated Ohio State to win the college football championship. That makes the University of Florida the first school to win championships in both football and basketball in the same school year.

Our program today was written by Nancy Steinbach and Jerilyn Watson. Caty Weaver was our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.

Bush Tells Troops Congress Must Fund Iraq War

By Paula Wolfson White House 04 April 2007

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President Bush took the battle over funding for the Iraq war to a U.S. military base on Wednesday. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports from the White House, the president spent the day with troops at Fort Irwin, California.

President Bush with troops at Fort Irwin, California, 4 Apr 2007

The president stood before a room packed with soldiers and their families. He told them Congress must fund the war now without conditions.

"We cannot allow honest differences in Washington to harm our troops in battle or their families here at home," said President Bush.

The House of Representatives has linked emergency funding for the war to a pull-out of U.S. forces by the end of August 2008. The Senate version of the bill speaks of a withdrawal within one year as a goal.

The president has made clear both are unacceptable. And in his remarks at Fort Irwin, he stressed Congress must not tell the generals how to do their job.

"Their bills impose an artificial deadline for withdrawal for Iraq," he said. "Their bills substitute the judgment of Washington politicians for the judgment of our military commanders."

Fort Irwin is home to the army's top desert training center for combat units. It specializes in the specific skills needed to counter terrorists and insurgents, such as detecting homemade explosives.

Mr. Bush spent several hours at the facility, watching training demonstrations, and meeting with troops. It was the first stop on a six-day break from Washington that will include Easter observances in Texas, and a trip to Arizona to talk about immigration on Monday.

Obama Nearly Matches Clinton In Presidential Fundraising

By Jim Malone Washington 04 April 2007

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Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama says his campaign has raised $25 million in the first three months of this year, nearly matching the $26 million raised by Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton. As VOA national correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington, Obama's strong showing in campaign fundraising suggests a very competitive race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination next year.

Barack Obama, (l) talks to voters during a campaign stop in Rochester, New Hampshire, 03 Apr 2007

The Obama campaign said the $25 million in donations came from more than 100,000 people during the past three months, including nearly $7 million raised over the Internet.

The fundraising figure was released as Senator Obama brought his campaign to the early contest state of Iowa.

"We have by far the most donors of any campaign, so the overwhelming number of our donations oftentimes come in small increments of 25 and 50 dollars," said Barack Obama.

Sen. Hillary Clinton

Senator Obama nearly matched the $26 million raised by Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, which was announced earlier this week. Clinton continues to lead public-opinion polls among Democratic candidates and has been seen as the frontrunner for the party's presidential nomination.

Obama has been running second in the polls behind Senator Clinton. Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, who has been running in third place, raised $14 million in the first quarter of this year. Edwards recently announced that his wife, Elizabeth, is battling a recurrence of cancer.

Obama has only been in the Senate for two years and is a relative newcomer on the national stage, but he has drawn large and enthusiastic crowds since he began his campaign in February.

Political experts say the surprisingly large fundraising total for Obama will boost his campaign and could raise doubts among some Democrats that Hillary Clinton has a lock as the party nominee next year.

On the Republican side, the big fundraiser was former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who raised $23 million. Romney is running a distant third in most polls behind former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Senator John McCain.

Giuliani has raised nearly $15 million this year and McCain raised $12.5 million.

Romney told NBC's Today program that his surprisingly large fundraising total should boost his campaign.

"In the states where I spend a lot of time like Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, Florida, South Carolina, people know me, they are warming to my message," said Mitt Romney. "And I am very heartened by the fact that I have received extraordinary contributions from all over the country, so it is a message that is connecting. People want to see change in Washington."

Former Republican Party strategist Matthew Dowd says political rivals and experts closely watch the amount of money the candidates are able to raise.

"If you do not exceed expectations, if you go below expectations, it is a huge problem," said Matthew Dowd. "If you exceed expectations, it is a good day."

Never before has so much campaign money been raised so early in a presidential-election cycle.

Many states are holding their caucus and primary elections earlier in 2008, forcing candidates to spend money sooner on advertising and campaign staff.

"And this has resulted in the nominees having to face a much more compressed and a much more early primary election season, requiring them to raise money at a much faster rate," said Ross Baker Ross Baker, a professor of political science at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Baker says the competition among the presidential contenders to raise money has become the first important test of the 2008 campaign.

"And now, in fact, the effort to raise money has become a kind of primary election in itself, in which the quarterly reports that campaigns give become a kind of financial referendum on how strong the campaigns are," he said.

By law, private citizens are limited to donations of $2,300 to a candidate for the primary elections and another $2,300 for the general presidential election.

The major candidates are raising so much money for 2008 that this may be the first presidential election that the major candidates turn down public matching funds to finance their campaigns.

Presidential candidates have taken advantage of the matching funds in every election since 1976, part of a 1974 campaign reform law designed to limit campaign spending and the influence of wealthy special interest donors in U.S. presidential elections.

VOASE0404_The Making of a Nation

04 April 2007

History Series: Lyndon Johnson Takes Over Presidency After Kennedy's Murder
Lyndon Johnson had a lot of political experience. He had been President Kennedy's vice president, and had served for many years in the Senate and House of Representatives.

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VOICE ONE:

This is Phil Murray.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Richard Rael with THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

(MUSIC)

Today, we begin the story of President Lyndon Johnson.

VOICE ONE:

Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (right) watches as President Lyndon Johnson is sworn into office, November 22, 1963.

Lyndon Baines Johnson became America's thirty-sixth president very suddenly. It happened on November twenty second, nineteen sixty three. On that day, President John Kennedy was murdered.

Kennedy and Johnson -- his vice president -- were visiting Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was shot to death as his open car drove through the streets of the city. Within a few hours, Johnson was sworn in as president on a plane that would take him back to Washington. The new president said, "I will do my best. That is all I can do. I ask for your help, and God's."

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Before being elected vice president, Lyndon Johnson had served for many years in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. He liked making decisions. And he loved politics. He grew up in small towns in Texas. After completing high school, he traveled and worked for a while. He said he was afraid of more studying. But after a few years, he entered southwest Texas State Teachers College. There he was a student leader and political activist.

VOICE ONE:

Johnson went to Washington as secretary to a congressman in nineteen thirty-one. Four years later, President Franklin Roosevelt named him to a leadership position in a national social program for young people. Two years after that, he decided to campaign for a seat in the House of Representatives.

When World War Two began, Johnson was the first member of Congress to join the armed forces.

He served in the House for twelve years. After the war, he campaigned for the Senate, where he also served for twelve years. As a senator, he became an expert in the operation of government.

VOICE TWO:

Lyndon Johnson would need all of this knowledge as president. On the day he was sworn in, American faced serious problems. Communist forces in Vietnam were fighting troops supported by the United States. There was a continuing possibility of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. At home, there was racial conflict. Many Americans did not have jobs. And there was a threat of a major railroad strike.

VOICE ONE:

Signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act

President Johnson began his White House days by working hard for legislation President Kennedy had proposed. Although he had voted against civil rights legislation when he served in the Senate, he now urged Congress to pass a civil rights bill. Congress did.

The nineteen sixty-four Civil Rights Act was a law to help guarantee equal chances for jobs for all Americans. It also helped guarantee equal treatment for minorities in stores, eating places, and other businesses.

VOICE TWO:

When Johnson signed the bill, he said:

JOHNSON: "We believe that all men are created equal. Yet many are denied equal treatment. We believe that all men have certain unalienable rights. Yet many Americans do not enjoy those rights. We believe that all men are entitled to the blessings of liberty. Yet millions are being deprived of those blessings -- not because of their own failures -- but because of the color of their skin."

The president said that such a situation could not continue in America. To treat people unfairly because of their race, he said, violated the Constitution, the idea of democracy, and the law he was about to sign.

VOICE ONE:

President Johnson meets with civil rights leader Martin Luther King, March 18, 1966

Lyndon Johnson succeeded in getting Congress to pass more civil rights legislation in nineteen sixty-five and nineteen sixty-eight. The nineteen sixty-five bill said states could not prevent citizens from voting just because they did not do well on reading or other tests. The purpose of the law was to make sure all black Americans could vote.

The civil rights law of nineteen sixty-eight dealt with housing. For many years, black Americans could not get the home they wanted in the place they wanted. Many times, property companies forced them to pay a lot for poor housing. The purpose of the bill was to guarantee free choice and fair treatment in the housing market.

VOICE TWO:

Political experts said president Johnson succeeded with Congress in a way that President Kennedy could never have equaled. Because Johnson was from the South, he could talk easily with Southern members of Congress. He was able to get them to agree that African Americans were treated unfairly. In addition, his own years in Congress had taught him how to get people to do what he wanted.

VOICE ONE:

President Johnson gave a name to his dream of a better America. He called it the "Great Society. " He spoke about it in a speech at the University of Michigan:

JOHNSON: "The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice, to which we are totally committed in our time. But that is just the beginning. The great society is a place where every child can find knowledge to enrich his mind and to enlarge his talents. "

The Great Society was both an idea and a goal. To reach that goal, Johnson created several government programs. One was the "war on poverty. " The war on poverty was a series of bills to help poor people. It was designed to create new jobs and build the economy.

VOICE TWO:

Congress did not approve a large amount of money for the war on poverty. But it did strongly support the president's early proposals. Support dropped, however, when Congress said the nation could not pay for both social programs at home and a war overseas.

Vietnam was not the only place where Johnson used American troops to fight communism. He would send about twenty thousand soldiers to the Dominican Republic, too. He feared that a rebellion there would lead to a communist takeover of the country.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Lyndon Johnson served the last fourteen months of John Kennedy's term. In nineteen sixty-four, he campaigned for election to a full term of his own. His Democratic Party gave him the strongest support possible. It accepted his choice of Hubert Humphrey to be the party's candidate for vice president. Humphrey was a liberal senator from the state of Minnesota.

VOICE TWO:

Unlike the Democrats, the Republicans had a difficult time choosing their candidates for the election. Delegates to the party's national convention finally chose Barry Goldwater to be their candidate for president. Goldwater was a strongly conservative senator from the state of Arizona. The delegates chose William Miller, a congressman from New York State, to be their candidate for vice president.

VOICE ONE:

The nation voted in November, nineteen sixty-four. Lyndon Johnson won more than sixty percent of the popular votes. Strangely, however, he was not pleased. He had wanted the largest victory in American history. He had wanted proof that Americans were voting for him, and not for the shadow of John Kennedy.

VOICE TWO:

In his inaugural speech, Johnson talked of changes. He said his Great Society was never finished. It was always growing and improving. To Johnson, this meant passing a health care plan for older Americans. It meant appointing blacks to important national positions.

He succeeded in these goals -- and more -- during the next four years. Congress passed the Medicare bill to provide health care for older people. And Johnson appointed Thurgood Marshall to be the first black justice to the Supreme Court.

VOICE ONE:

As Johnson went back to work in the White House, however, a huge problem awaited him. Americans were fighting to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. More and more were being killed. The war in Vietnam would become extremely unpopular among American citizens. It would destroy Johnson's chances of being remembered as a great president.

That will be our story next week.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program of THE MAKING OF A NATION was written by Jeri Watson and produced by Paul Thompson. This is Richard Rael.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Phil Murray. Join us again next week for another VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

VOASE0404_Education Report

04 April 2007

Choose Your Degree at an American College or University
International students may attend an American university to earn a degree, including a BS, BA or MBA.

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Today, we answer a question from Martin in Mexico City. He asks about the kinds of degrees that students can earn at an American college or university.

American higher education offers degrees in many areas of study. A community college student earns an associate degree after two years of general study. The student may then continue at a college or university for another two years to earn a bachelor’s degree.

An undergraduate student at a four-year school earns a bachelor's degree. Students majoring in an area of science receive the bachelor of science, also known by the letters B.S. Arts or humanities students get the bachelor of arts degree, or B.A.

Students who continue in school may earn a master’s degree after two or three more years of study. Many Americans earn master’s degrees at night or on the weekends while they are working. One example of this is the M.B.A., a master's degree in business administration. Students learn to deal with all kinds of business situations. They develop skills needed by many companies.

M.B.A. programs teach about economics, finance and marketing. They also teach about the structure of organizations and other subjects. Business is a popular subject for students who come to the United States. To be admitted to an M.B.A. program, a foreign student must have a bachelor’s degree and a good score on the TOEFL. Most students also take the Graduate Management Admission Test. Most of the one thousand eight hundred M.B.A. programs around the world use these test scores.

The Graduate Management Admission Council says that foreign students should find out what different schools could do to help them find a job after they receive their degree. Representatives from many companies visit colleges to hire students. You should ask how many companies are willing to hire international students. The council says even the best schools may have fewer job placements for international graduates than for others.

Our Foreign Student Series continues next week with a report about the highest degree a student can earn at an American university -- the doctorate. Our scripts are available on the Internet -- with MP3 files and transcripts -- at voaspecialenglish.com.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Shirley Griffith.