#82, Alpacas

Newly appointed alpaca, Jefferson

Congress To Raise Alpacas to Aid Struggling Economy

By Mark Landler /// 2013.03.30

WASHINGTON—Members of Congress assured Americans that they have a definitive plan for reviving the slumping economy when they unveiled on Monday a bold new fiscal stimulus package that calls for the purchase of a pair of alpacas.

"We're confident that breeding alpacas will jump-start the economy and lift this nation out of debt once we get the start-up money," said McConnell, who insists the exotic livestock require very little maintenance and are of a gentler temperament than their cousin the llama. "All you need is a fertile male and a female in heat, and nature takes it course. Before you know it, the money is rolling in and there's alpacas everywhere."

Under the new proposal, a Senate subcommittee will be formed to attend to the day-to-day care of the alpacas, providing food and water, cleaning up their communal dung pile, and securing the animals in their pen inside the Senate chamber at night. In addition, Congressman Robert Andrews (D-NJ) made his office available for storing buckets and shovels, saying the space is usually empty anyway since he prefers to work from home.

A Senate majority has already voted to name the alpacas Jefferson and Bongo.

Advocates also claimed that using the alpacas' fleece for knitted and woven items would energize the textile industry and eliminate the nation's dependence on foreign- produced ponchos.

SOURCE: http://www.nytimes.com/articles/congress-to-raise-alpacas-to-aid-struggling-economy-20261/

The Alpaca bill has been hotly debated for months and its passage signifies a revolutionary change in U.S. thinking.  While the rest of the world speeds towards technological development, the U.S. has taken a dramatic turn to re-invest in traditional farming methods.  This outside-of-the-box thinking has several other OECD nations considering a similar change.  Given the unpredictability of the global economy and historical stability of alpacas, this may go down as President Obama's most savvy move of his presidency.

South Korea is one of the world leaders in technology, but little else.  Most of the South Korean industry is focused solely on technology which makes it vulnerable to outside forces.  Should South Korea follow the U.S.'s lead and invest in alpacas?  Is there another animal that would be better suited for South Korea?  Defend your position.

Optional: Describe an experience you've had with an alpaca.

-Brenden Lee Teacher

a brief glimpse