I-MAG STS    
2003 Population
GDP
Algeria 32,818,500
5300
Egypt 74,718,797
3900
Libya 5,499,074
7600
Morocco 31,689,265
3900
Tunisia
9,924,742
6500
Yemen
19,349,881
840
Back in 2003 we were entranced by the economic
consequences of a very high-speed (500 kilometers / hour)
magnetically levitated train running from Casablanca
on the Atlantic more or less along the Mediterranean coast
past Cairo to Jerusalem and Mecca. Besides making it very
fast and likely free for Islamic pilgrims to complete their
religious obligations, our econometric models strongly
suggested that building the maglev with accompanying
super-urban areas (supurbs) would provide enormous
benefits to all the countries listed at the right, especially in
terms of education, medical care, employment, alleviation
of poverty and improved infrastructure (notably, clean
water, breathable air and internet connections). Gross
Domestic Product in all its varying forms (per capita used
here) was then and remains now one of our LEAST favorite
measures. We note in passing that one way to secure the
maglevs is to make them joint ventures - much like oil
pipelines. It is very rare for a terrorist organization to
damage such easy targets precisely because they are the
primary revenue source. We would like to think a Yemeni
suicide bomber would be reluctant to try and damage a
train or tracks in Tunisia if ticket revenues paid for
hospital supplies in Yemen.             
In the original study we also analyzed Mauritania,
Niger, Eritrea and Mali. We were not hopeful about
Sudan's prospects: we could find no prospects for
Darfur or northern Sudan. The lengthy uncivil war
had just been too damaging. The long-term
survival of southern Sudan looked dicey even if
there was a peaceful split. To continue with an
introduction to the older material click Next above.
Links to web page versions of more recent
Powerpoints are immediately below.
 Silver and Life - best read first
 Regression - Super-Sahelian Spirals
 Nabla Playa then and 25 countries now
 Netbooks and Tablets needed
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