it into the ocean just the latest example of a crumbling system we haven't had the kind of investment or the resources to put investment into it to keep our infrastructure strong and seen in the past years americans have seen their levees fail leading to massive flooding cracked bridges buckling not to mention constant water main breaks and costly traffic congestion in its report card of america's infrastructure the american society of civil engineers gave the nation's infrastructure a d. grade and estimated two point two trillion dollars over five years was needed to bring that up to a b. this is god it's not we our bridges can't fall down we can't have a collapsing infrastructure that kills people hurt people. leaves us and say that's just not the country we promise to be beside safety concerns a crumbling infrastructure friends to do rail any hopes of

a significant economic recovery here in the u.s. making it even more difficult to compete with powerhouses who see infrastructure investment as a national priority and a key to sustainable growth building a world class transportation system is part of what made us economic superpower and now we're going to sit back and watch china build newer airports and faster railroads at a time when millions of unemployed construction workers could build them right here in america the u.s. only spends two point four percent of g.d.p. on infrastructure europe spends more than twice that in china outpaces everyone at nine percent we're being lap by the rest of the world we're no longer going to be number one. that's the reality actually the u.s. is already far from the top of the world economic forum ranks u.s. infrastructure twenty third in the world some blame growing federal bureaucracy in a web of environmental regulations. well there's no question it would take years to

get through all of the various hurdles and hopscotch is that these kinds of mega projects need to go through president obama's proposal to significantly boost infrastructure spending could help create desperately needed jobs but with a gaping deficit in washington politics in a group like americans base you this proposal right to a screeching halt in los angeles. go r t. despite all those problems that ramon outlined us president barack obama is still out today trying to sell people on the rise of america let's get to work let's show the world wants to get the states of america is the greatest victory on earth and if average people are unaware of how the u.s. compares to the rest of the world it's competing with and how it stacks up on things like infrastructure maybe it's because when they turn on mainstream domestic news networks they see stories like this crew was hot then it was not now it's

hot again for the first time j. crew presented its latest collection under the fashion tense color is a competitive advantage for its. color is a competitive advantage for j. crew but to find out what would be a competitive advantage for the united states earlier i spoke with timothy a no by he's professor of international economic law at chapman university now we've heard obama make comparisons of the u.s. needing high speed rail was one example i started out with in the way that china does but the u.s. makes a fraction of the investment in that kind of infrastructure so i asked is this comparison simply rhetoric. well unfortunately the time to have made the comparison would have been a couple of years ago when president obama had a greater command in congress with the democrats. the majority in both houses at this point it does come across to

a lot of people's rhetoric because there's clearly a political gridlock and it seems futile to expect the republicans in the house to just go along with these proposals now send the united big band looking to china for an example of how do invest in infrastructure there they invest a lot more money to start with i mean for their bullet trying to think of one example three hundred billion dollars will be committed by twenty twenty and united states from obama's last penny like it was eight billion dollars by two thousand and twelve. well the u.s. could look to china could look to the european union both. invest far more in infrastructure as you pointed out however the united states could also look to its own history you know after world war two the u.s. created an incredible economic machine first through mansel investments into an interstate highway system but then through the space program unfortunately the

rhetoric the discourse has shifted completely in the other direction so that you get obama administration officials as well as republicans all saying the same thing that the public sector can never really create jobs and this is really contrary to u.s. history you know without the space program we would not have had the gains in high technology computerization the internet allows its existence to the defense department program darpa. and yet it gets cast in far different terms that these great leaps in in the american economy and in. innovation and technology . somehow is or from the ingenuity of the trying to sector alone in public just in the way it's an interesting point you bring up looking at the example of infrastructure if we want to stay on that what the united states government really be able to create jobs in a way that it hasn't passed air as quickly when you have

a lot of red tape one person that reports that if you tried to do you know the hoover dam today it would take a decade to get it approved. certainly hoover dam today would require you know the permits the environmental regulations it didn't exist in time. so you could always come up with those kinds of examples that would suggest it will take longer one response is that so what if it takes a few if you huge longer you can still use still enough work to be done and good people it's work that was somebody a kind of a professor of international economic law at chapman university meanwhile you probably heard about the twenty hour siege of the u.s. embassy and nato headquarters in afghanistan it may have ended but i want to heard about this the firefight on the ground sparked a war of words and a twitter verse between nato and the taliban the bizarre to twitter duel pitted

nato the international security assistance force against a taliban spokesman here's how it all reportedly unfolded so this was this week after tuesday's attack on the u.s. embassy in kabul nato sent out a tweet asking how long the taliban would continue to put innocent afghans in harm's way well that must have cost the taliban tweeter abdul kahar bulk who responded with this tweet saying this i don't know you've been putting them in harm's way for the past ten years razed whole villages and market and you still have the nerve to talk about harm's way. i mean. we have to credit the taliban. we're being so up to date on texting acronyms and this battle of words went on for several tweets and each side took shots at each other's credibility reposed articles even linking to youtube videos i mean you remember the saying the pen or

in this case the tweet is mightier than the sword and if the u.s. takes its war to twitter as an alternative to actual battle and i was in the lives and the defense spending that could be saved on that note i'm going to end it that does it for now for more on the stories we covered go to our t. dot com slash usa check out our you tube page it's youtube dot com slash r t america you can follow me on twitter at lauren lyster because i bet you'll be headed nair to see exactly how the twitter war played out.

see. h.l. marvin here broadcasting live from washington d.c. coming up today on the big picture.

is he. bringing you the latest in science and technology. the future. it's always a pleasure to visit the room south of russia and present it to be one of its finest cities. founded on the cuban river at the end of the eighteenth century.

from a small close outpost to a modern the ministry of capital. and as soon as you write this one lady you really need to go and see. this is so catherine and she is the patient saying the president up i am legend has it that you come into harmonium and stand on this circle then you come under the saints protection for the time you are in this. room is really to get sight see i thought i'd start with a bird's eye view. now this is president's famous water tower it's one of many constructions remaining by famous russian engineer bloody machine called and it's still one of the best places to take it. is

often referred to as russia's thomas edison because of the quality of his invention he piny hyper beloit towers like this although up to fifty years of just use it is starting to get a little rusty her. grave the health and safety. it may no longer be cousin to those tallest building but for a panoramic view there are a few better places. who are climbing may be hungry but luckily just a place to go. i'm always loved visiting the local markets the some of the liveliest places you can find in the city and full of these great sights smells and all these different colors but of course it does help if you have someone who can give you a profit soul. and i had a lunch date with an expert. who created. the rude

must make sense well i'm looking forward to a little trip around the market i have a few can steal things from the trauma yeah i can show you this list thank you. for the welcome. to the mushroom lucky thing ya know. anyone else or not. could deja came from china to study medicine and over the last six years she's fully in love with the place. and this one is becoming fluent in the language she's also got into the local food plus some of the delicacies here just me an acquired taste. i'm sure that you have never seen it. what because. the cool watermelon. show. which will pick the right ok let's just say i'm doing the yeah i.

saw. you feel that there are some things that should be left as nature intended. this case but it's a definite so definitely in a quiet place. and should be just certainly got used to cross new don't in fact she's so fond of her new home she's thinking of staying off the she graduates thing that people are very kind to. and i think i can just say that i found myself just. about different stories. you know james what species are those who could see your eyes going to the yeah i think a very like cakes so let's go to buy so you're going to get these yeah right will think you have so much for showing me around the low come down it's been a great pleasure and i'm almost now and then i can get pleasure from him it's a bad. list to do to enjoying the chocolate fix well knowing how to talk outside

the weather had cleared up my mind that there was something special going on in the middle of town i just needed to get more. of a trainer to go is around here somewhere you know what they say if in doubt most likely spend. the rest. of the puzzles. and proabortion all you have for us begin with i do yes we will leave to you thank you very much for your place police a. bit of his clothes new those cool skits to clean up the streets and can for the environment at the same time i've never seen cause like these for the police in russia all day a new project yes it's unusual objects will always see through. a wide news racial or was with police departments have. rolled and rolled

around while security will flee to home took a frenzy even frame all things a program. with cobol a few cars at least two cars for us oh and we have. this recent squares of all will see these cars because it's. all a jeep green korean. economy. well as you get a wind up in the back of a police town this is definitely the way to go down the street. thank you very much. you know that's what i call a public service. i've been dropped off in the city's central square and it looked like the show was about to begin. the original.

these men x. and without their ancestors wouldn't exist the land here was originally given to them by empress catherine the great in the late eighteenth century i mean so my nine hundred twenty the city was named to katherine which means catherine's gift. the cossacks were known as fearsome fighters and brilliant swordsman and its reputation they still build on today. is very deadly. you don't have to have blood to be trained by these guys but it certainly seems to help you coordination. i guess lies that are three once more. very good. or. perhaps my own weapon might transform my fencing skills. so

this of course is absolutely part of the make up. somewhere else in the city where you can. like the. my trainer was happy to point me in the right direction. under the one who is a blacksmith since he was a teenager and is the only person in the city who makes damascus steel a material that's created some of the world's finest. to start with. different kinds of steel together. the pieces. together at high temperatures. this means that the temperature is just right. you can begin to flatten out.

how mary. to compress the light. and steel and it. hit mr experts. in the right place. and you have to be accurate over and over again just like the. polish. times. it's an existing procedures but fortunately he has a machine that will do the next most of what's new. this. is where. you get. the most likely. like.

you need to do it several times of. metal gets cold. i'm unfortunately can lead to cracks it seems this chunk of damascus steel was going to have to be recycles fortunately andre has another more developed specimen . this is one of. solid metal work of something just carrying the edge. and hopes of getting the right. of the place. and we just had one last round of heating it in hammering to go. one mile get. while. it is. painfully hauled.

away but to get the right temperature. barring the shouting. they have it. of blades. for. the cossacks most famous soldiers with cavalry bottles of old may be consigned to the history books the people of president own still share a lot of speed and he says. the sun's out crowds are coming in. and they're the races especially when i get to meet. his one of the ladies. his head trainer at present the most hippodrome might arrive for the start of the victory column one of the

most important meets in the city's racing calendar. number seven said what do you think do you like if you get me out of the break until the next race is began and i've years. i have an excellent suggestion will have to spend the time. this is rubik's cube an eight year old stallion who was going to be my riot for the morning i had a few lessons on my trips around russia but so far i've only managed to gendering trucks get rubik up to a counter. well yes for about thirty seconds and then he decided he'd much rather be doing his own thing. it was for the last good boy. came here is still a bit of a puzzle to me. i hope at least i have better luck as a spectator and i grabbed a programme and headed back to the track but things didn't exactly go my way.

come on. oh no it's well. i missed. a few races in the victory cup was turning into a bit of a personals a feat but then one of my fellow punches gave me its head. yes. number three. oh i lost. who. jumps at school. now that. i'm even a few rules to the good. i decided to quit while i was ahead. you can race here in france and the security of the speed freaks and just down to the.

culture is the same as the taxpayers' money coming. from a real. emerging countries in an ever changing world but what does it mean when a country is finally emerged. the british style. market. can. find out what's really happening to the global economy with. the global financial headlines kaiser report.

is the river it's the longest in the northern caucasus so you call it really comes across in a dollar and not paid a visit but you can just take a walk along the water. you can get to know it and something a little bit speedy. here is one of the instructors here at power boat school he's an eight time russian champion and in charge of getting the next generation to follow in his weight. we have got lots of young sportsmen here and international class boats that can go up to one hundred sixty kilometers an hour. we try to

stimulate the children's capacity for work and our members take part in both european cond world championships. it seemed like i was in good hands although i did need some more appropriate clothing. ok more racing season and then away same sort of things to come. and once i go in my life vest it was time to take my seat ok i trust you completely . all my life in this very small boston snug contraption. with just

a gas pedal and no brakes to worry about it did seem pretty easy to drive and there was at least one quick way to slow down. this little safety line is going to be quite pull it. cuts the arms around things cross the right media. this applies. to the quick push from the bank was all but once you're out of money these things you want won't come but. clearly they are set or were clear so the ball about because the box is incredible . you will be a new droid is have to go through a rather unusual club ritual.

but heck out of the ball needs to finish off crossing traditions their codes of the more. draw a line i was about to attend a cross on the downs for most to still strong laden events of the year. it's pretty fair to say that the gym and i have never been that close boss there are people who can teach their own body weights in a day and lift the equivalent of around five big men and if you can do that maybe you two can compete in the us in some some competition. i think. everyone here. is one of the guys in charge of it all. you want. us to say we salute you what is it where is

james i believe that you are all one of the founders of some sort of. you not me as the founder of this contest and your at the right place because these are the strongest doesn't present. you get a seat with the owner ok. so the game has been training in some sense gyms and taking part in their events for almost twenty years and the toughest guys in the south of russia are here to show what they can do. what i'm not of things i love about strong men come to since they get some thirty crazy stuff like that yeah that's true that's true this let's just way this is general.