It would be generous to call The Iraq War a fiasco, although Republicans will tell you it's a 'mixed bag'. The real reason for invading Iraq, of course, was oil security. An outcome that, so far anyway, has eluded the US government as insurgents and other groups have been very successful at thwarting efforts to increase Iraqi oil production. What will the next ten years bring is the question for many that will decide if the rationale for invading Iraq was sound.
Will Iraq fall in line as a major oil producer for the US? Replacing oil from Venezuela and other oil producing states that more and more are wanting to deal with cash rich China. The Chinese pay top dollar, and demand little or nothing in the way of human rights, political democratization or worker safety. While the US is seen as a dictatorial power that applies all kinds of social and political 'strings' to their deals, plus we want it cheap.
The bulwark of our oil supply Saudi Arabia is the heart of Al Quaeda and one of the most repressive regimes in the region. Iranians have much more freedom in their daily lives than Saudis do. Iraq however is not turning out to be the puppet regime Bush and his cronies thought it would be. Turned out to be a more complex problem, no doubt made even more complex by the incompetence of this administration. Yet Washington elites still support the effort to secure oil supplies. They are briefed daily on the consequences to National Security and our economy if we have an 'oil crisis' brought on by restricted supplies of oil.
For a relatively small country we consume 25% of the worlds available supply. Our dependence on the stuff makes it doubly difficult to find alternatives.
Great documentary
http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeyemonday/feature_171207.html
The real solution is to find those alternatives. Enough sunlight hits the US everyday to power ten US economies. Water can be transformed into hydrogen using a car battery for gods sake, hydrogen can be used to power all sorts of things, and the by product of burning hydrogen is water. Talk about your renewable energy. With sunlight providing the electricity to break water into hydrogen and oxygen, and the use of hydrogen to make electricity, power combustion for automobiles and other devices, the cycle is complete and offers truly endless supply of energy that can be adapted to run homes and businesses, automobiles and airplanes. Replacing the 'dirty' technology of carbon based fuels, whether that is petroleum or bio-fuels is not only a mandate for our security and continued prosperity but for the very health and life on the planet.
Saddam Hussein is still missed by many, and the rest of the population question whether all the bloodshed and continued suffering was worth it.
In the long run, however, the Americans will measure success in Iraq in a different way, in barrels per day.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/12/30/iraq.alert.ap/index.html
MTMIND
Michael Trachtenberg
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Spreading Democracy
I hope by now you realize, if you had not already dear reader, that all the anti-war people were absolutely right, although you will never get the Republicans to admit it.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/12/23/iraq.main/index.html
Spreading war desolation, destruction and despair is more like it.
But the truth is we knew that, we were just trying to warn the rest of you.
Save a few hundred thousand human lives (so far).
Too bad Americans are so stupid and believe what they are told without thinking, reading or asking questions, because it was really easy to see, 1. that Bush was lying to you, and 2. that invading Afghanistan and Iraq was 180 degrees in the wrong direction as a response to 911 and as a way to spread democracy and create a safer world for all of us.
When the Berlin wall fell and the old Soviet Union collapsed we entered the 'dark time'. Reaganites (those who worship the former president and 'B' movie star) will tell you he ended the cold war, what he did was to bankrupt the USSR in the arms race, and almost bankrupted us. It was then that we were in more danger than at any time since the end of WWWII.
Now we are deep in the tunnel with "No End In Sight' , the worlds three great monotheistic religions are being held hostage and twisted by fanatical extremists and hatemongers, bent on misery and destruction and Bush and his cronies just threw away the flashlight, put out the fire and pissed on the matches.
But there is still hope.
Hope that people will wake up. You don't have to be a rocket scientists to realize that you were lied to and to see through the BS that our governments and corporations put out. You don't have to be a guru to see that hatred and intolerance is antithetical to all religions and the purpose of the creator of all things.
You just have to want to.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/12/23/iraq.main/index.html
Spreading war desolation, destruction and despair is more like it.
But the truth is we knew that, we were just trying to warn the rest of you.
Save a few hundred thousand human lives (so far).
Too bad Americans are so stupid and believe what they are told without thinking, reading or asking questions, because it was really easy to see, 1. that Bush was lying to you, and 2. that invading Afghanistan and Iraq was 180 degrees in the wrong direction as a response to 911 and as a way to spread democracy and create a safer world for all of us.
When the Berlin wall fell and the old Soviet Union collapsed we entered the 'dark time'. Reaganites (those who worship the former president and 'B' movie star) will tell you he ended the cold war, what he did was to bankrupt the USSR in the arms race, and almost bankrupted us. It was then that we were in more danger than at any time since the end of WWWII.
Now we are deep in the tunnel with "No End In Sight' , the worlds three great monotheistic religions are being held hostage and twisted by fanatical extremists and hatemongers, bent on misery and destruction and Bush and his cronies just threw away the flashlight, put out the fire and pissed on the matches.
But there is still hope.
Hope that people will wake up. You don't have to be a rocket scientists to realize that you were lied to and to see through the BS that our governments and corporations put out. You don't have to be a guru to see that hatred and intolerance is antithetical to all religions and the purpose of the creator of all things.
You just have to want to.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The shape of things to come
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/BUSINESS/12/19/earns.morganstanley.ap/index.html
Morgan Stanley, a premier US financial institution goes, hat in hand, to China for a bailout.
This is indicative of the entire US economy, more and more saddled with intolerable debt. We are about to see the world gorge on our misfortune.
Let us say thank you, to the Republican controlled congress and White House that could take us from a trillion dollar surplus to the largest debtor nation on the planet.
They have gorged at the public trough and now it is the US taxpayer who will pay the price of their greed and mismanagement.
MTMIND
Me published Dec 6
MSNBC publish Dec 23
see "The Other Shoe"
I hate being right all the time
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22379989/
But of course I am not some talented prognosticator, it just was easy to see on Dec 6, and earlier, but somehow Americans are just zombies watching reality TV and Jerry Springer. Somewhere along the line Americans got left behind. That is because public education sucks in this country and the media is owned by a small group of corporations who have no stake or incentive whatsoever to tell you the truth. The talking heads and political pundits are told what to say everyday. They have a script, and they too have no intention or incentive for telling you the truth.
I, on the other hand, don't know what else to tell you, I have no agenda. When you are a scientists, the truth is all you have, all you want, and all you need.
Morgan Stanley, a premier US financial institution goes, hat in hand, to China for a bailout.
This is indicative of the entire US economy, more and more saddled with intolerable debt. We are about to see the world gorge on our misfortune.
Let us say thank you, to the Republican controlled congress and White House that could take us from a trillion dollar surplus to the largest debtor nation on the planet.
They have gorged at the public trough and now it is the US taxpayer who will pay the price of their greed and mismanagement.
MTMIND
Me published Dec 6
MSNBC publish Dec 23
see "The Other Shoe"
I hate being right all the time
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22379989/
But of course I am not some talented prognosticator, it just was easy to see on Dec 6, and earlier, but somehow Americans are just zombies watching reality TV and Jerry Springer. Somewhere along the line Americans got left behind. That is because public education sucks in this country and the media is owned by a small group of corporations who have no stake or incentive whatsoever to tell you the truth. The talking heads and political pundits are told what to say everyday. They have a script, and they too have no intention or incentive for telling you the truth.
I, on the other hand, don't know what else to tell you, I have no agenda. When you are a scientists, the truth is all you have, all you want, and all you need.
Monday, December 17, 2007
What Could Be Funnier
What could be funnier than an 81 year old psychotic dictator who has held power for over fifty years making an announcement that he "won't cling to office"?
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/12/17/castro.letter/index.html
Won't cling to office? You mean he won't insist on remaining president after he dies and turns to dust. That's big of him, don't you think.
OK, so this only makes sense in Bushworld.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/12/17/castro.letter/index.html
Won't cling to office? You mean he won't insist on remaining president after he dies and turns to dust. That's big of him, don't you think.
OK, so this only makes sense in Bushworld.
Just To Settle It
Afghan War lost, Afghanistan a failed narco-state, the billions in drug money helping fuel the resurgence of the Taliban and Al Quaeda, along with billions in oil money thanks largely to the oil premium we pay for Bush's wars.
Iraq War lost, Iraq in tatters also de-evolving into brutally corrupt sectarian enclaves and warlordism and feudal states.
Syria a mess, holding tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees, Jordan a mess again with tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees, Lebanon reeling from Israeli attacks, Palestinians even more brutalized than they were 6 years ago (if you can imagine that). Turkey invading Iraq to quell Kurdish military incursions into Turkey, Iran on the ascendance, enriching uranium and banging it's chest.
Over 85 thousand Americans dead or wounded, over a trillion dollars spent directly on the war with another half trillion in re-arming and taking care of the wounded, and no end in sight.
America's moral standing in the world trashed as evidence of our war crimes grows every day, our economic powers faltering, our diplomatic power, pretty much a joke. Our military power, woefully inadequate for the tasks at hand.
Our allies looking for new friends, while our enemies are growing stronger.
After almost seven years at war, the primary target and named enemy, Al Quaeda is stronger, better organized and better funded than ever before. The policies of George Bush have managed after all this time and expense not to destroy Al Queada or diminish the threat to Americans and the the world but to metastasize Al queada into global behemoth, with tens of thousands more followers and billions in new funding. After seven years of war our enemy is stronger than it was on Sept. 11 2001. Just a plain and simple fact.
Our enemies are , more organized, better funded and swamped with new recruits, while we are drowning in debt, and our military is scrounging for recruits and losing more experienced people every day. They are winning, and they know they are winning. And all because Bush and Co. failed to recognize the simple realities of human life.
Even though they spout the religious rhetoric, and their script writers punctuate every thought with democracy and freedom their policies in reality do nothing to enhance equality, democracy or freedom. Instead their policies on serve to feed the ravenous hunger for power and wealth of their corporate and political friends. To the republicans and the Bush clan in particular there is no America, aside from serving their own greed for privilege and power.
Every expert, military or academic has testified that is it not a question of IF but WHEN the next attack will come.
tick tick tick.
And Bush and Co are scrambling now to delete all the records of their crimes, and yet we will be left with their destructive results for many decades to come.
Iraq War lost, Iraq in tatters also de-evolving into brutally corrupt sectarian enclaves and warlordism and feudal states.
Syria a mess, holding tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees, Jordan a mess again with tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees, Lebanon reeling from Israeli attacks, Palestinians even more brutalized than they were 6 years ago (if you can imagine that). Turkey invading Iraq to quell Kurdish military incursions into Turkey, Iran on the ascendance, enriching uranium and banging it's chest.
Over 85 thousand Americans dead or wounded, over a trillion dollars spent directly on the war with another half trillion in re-arming and taking care of the wounded, and no end in sight.
America's moral standing in the world trashed as evidence of our war crimes grows every day, our economic powers faltering, our diplomatic power, pretty much a joke. Our military power, woefully inadequate for the tasks at hand.
Our allies looking for new friends, while our enemies are growing stronger.
After almost seven years at war, the primary target and named enemy, Al Quaeda is stronger, better organized and better funded than ever before. The policies of George Bush have managed after all this time and expense not to destroy Al Queada or diminish the threat to Americans and the the world but to metastasize Al queada into global behemoth, with tens of thousands more followers and billions in new funding. After seven years of war our enemy is stronger than it was on Sept. 11 2001. Just a plain and simple fact.
Our enemies are , more organized, better funded and swamped with new recruits, while we are drowning in debt, and our military is scrounging for recruits and losing more experienced people every day. They are winning, and they know they are winning. And all because Bush and Co. failed to recognize the simple realities of human life.
Even though they spout the religious rhetoric, and their script writers punctuate every thought with democracy and freedom their policies in reality do nothing to enhance equality, democracy or freedom. Instead their policies on serve to feed the ravenous hunger for power and wealth of their corporate and political friends. To the republicans and the Bush clan in particular there is no America, aside from serving their own greed for privilege and power.
Every expert, military or academic has testified that is it not a question of IF but WHEN the next attack will come.
tick tick tick.
And Bush and Co are scrambling now to delete all the records of their crimes, and yet we will be left with their destructive results for many decades to come.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Bush Never Met a Lie He Didn't Like
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/12/06/cia.videotapes/index.html
Well we know one thing is for sure.
before Bush leaves office a lot of records are going to have get sanitized.
Too many crimes have been committed.
A month long shredding party is already planned.
Monica Goodling is bringing the Ambrosia.
The problem is too many people know, the domestic surveillance and breeches of the FISA act.
Authorizing torture and rendition for torture, corruption, cronyism and on and on.
One can only hope that we all (the world) can get some justice.
Well we know one thing is for sure.
before Bush leaves office a lot of records are going to have get sanitized.
Too many crimes have been committed.
A month long shredding party is already planned.
Monica Goodling is bringing the Ambrosia.
The problem is too many people know, the domestic surveillance and breeches of the FISA act.
Authorizing torture and rendition for torture, corruption, cronyism and on and on.
One can only hope that we all (the world) can get some justice.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
The Other Shoe
The sub prime crisis.
Add to that the enormous debt, our weakness in manufacturing and export, and the upshot is the rest of the world economies are recoiling from our failures. They are rethinking the US as a place of ultimate economic security. When the bulwark of the global economy quakes and quivers, the rest of the world loses money.
George Bush and Co. could care less about the millions of Americans about to lose their homes, they, after all, are the little people. Their misery, little more than another opportunity to buy cheap real estate. (*see Republican money feast called Katrina).
http://money.cnn.com/2007/12/06/real_estate/Bush_plan_is_limited/index.htm?cnn=yes
What the Bush administration is reacting to and why he is 'stepping up' with this (largely useless) announced 'plan' today is to address the reality that if the rest of the world which buys our debt gets skittish, we could be in for a long term crisis. Bush has been warned that he cannot just ignore this and hope it goes away.
Rappers declaring they only want to be paid in euros, Saudis joking about switching to euros for valuation of oil, while not likely to happen anytime soon, just underscores the severity of the economic crisis. The crisis "is" the rest of the world has decided
that the US is too much in debt and 'a credit risk'. This never would have happened on it's own, but the fact is they are losing money, big money by being invested in the US debt markets.
Driving these forces are the enormous debt that the Bush administration has racked up, combined with unprecedented anti-US sentiment. There are a lot of people who would love to see our economic dominance diminished.
These two realities, enormous debt, enormous anti-US sentiment are driving this change in global economic power. With China, Europe and Russia emerging as the main beneficiaries, and China who holds most of our debt will wind up with more influence and political favor for holding on to their dollars. In the end China alone will not save us, and these forces will realign the global economic power structures.
An empire in descent?
The other shoe,
Next year, record foreclosures will drive record bankruptcies, further depressing the credit markets as billions of dollars in credit card debt becomes subject to the uncertainties of bankruptcy court. Even with the recent changes in the bankruptcy laws that favor the large credit card companies they still stand to lose big.
MTMIND
Me published Dec 6
MSNBC publish Dec 23
I hate being right all the time
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22379989/
But of course I am not some talented prognosticator, it just was easy to see on Dec 6, and earlier, but somehow Americans are just zombies watching reality TV and Jerry Springer. Somewhere along the line Americans got left behind. That is because public education sucks in this country and the media is owned by a small group of corporations who have no stake or incentive whatsoever to tell you the truth. The talking heads and political pundits are told what to say everyday. They have a script, and they too have no intention or incentive for telling you the truth.
I, on the other hand, don't know what else to tell you, I have no agenda. When you are a scientists, the truth is all you have, all you want, and all you need.
Add to that the enormous debt, our weakness in manufacturing and export, and the upshot is the rest of the world economies are recoiling from our failures. They are rethinking the US as a place of ultimate economic security. When the bulwark of the global economy quakes and quivers, the rest of the world loses money.
George Bush and Co. could care less about the millions of Americans about to lose their homes, they, after all, are the little people. Their misery, little more than another opportunity to buy cheap real estate. (*see Republican money feast called Katrina).
http://money.cnn.com/2007/12/06/real_estate/Bush_plan_is_limited/index.htm?cnn=yes
What the Bush administration is reacting to and why he is 'stepping up' with this (largely useless) announced 'plan' today is to address the reality that if the rest of the world which buys our debt gets skittish, we could be in for a long term crisis. Bush has been warned that he cannot just ignore this and hope it goes away.
Rappers declaring they only want to be paid in euros, Saudis joking about switching to euros for valuation of oil, while not likely to happen anytime soon, just underscores the severity of the economic crisis. The crisis "is" the rest of the world has decided
that the US is too much in debt and 'a credit risk'. This never would have happened on it's own, but the fact is they are losing money, big money by being invested in the US debt markets.
Driving these forces are the enormous debt that the Bush administration has racked up, combined with unprecedented anti-US sentiment. There are a lot of people who would love to see our economic dominance diminished.
These two realities, enormous debt, enormous anti-US sentiment are driving this change in global economic power. With China, Europe and Russia emerging as the main beneficiaries, and China who holds most of our debt will wind up with more influence and political favor for holding on to their dollars. In the end China alone will not save us, and these forces will realign the global economic power structures.
An empire in descent?
The other shoe,
Next year, record foreclosures will drive record bankruptcies, further depressing the credit markets as billions of dollars in credit card debt becomes subject to the uncertainties of bankruptcy court. Even with the recent changes in the bankruptcy laws that favor the large credit card companies they still stand to lose big.
MTMIND
Me published Dec 6
MSNBC publish Dec 23
I hate being right all the time
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22379989/
But of course I am not some talented prognosticator, it just was easy to see on Dec 6, and earlier, but somehow Americans are just zombies watching reality TV and Jerry Springer. Somewhere along the line Americans got left behind. That is because public education sucks in this country and the media is owned by a small group of corporations who have no stake or incentive whatsoever to tell you the truth. The talking heads and political pundits are told what to say everyday. They have a script, and they too have no intention or incentive for telling you the truth.
I, on the other hand, don't know what else to tell you, I have no agenda. When you are a scientists, the truth is all you have, all you want, and all you need.
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