Damn the French!
Just when you think you can depend on them to burytheir heads in the sand they commit a verbal faux paus by telling the truth to the Russians no less about a little inconvenience like Iran.
What they, (in the person of the foreign minister), said was that the world needed to be prepared for the worst case scenario, which was war, (in the situation surrounding Iran's nuclear non-program), has been twisted and exaggerated by a few parties, significantly Russia and Iran, to an actual threat of war. These verbal gymnastics are far more telling than almost any other indicator available to the common observer.
In a situation rich with irony, the richest is that the man who plunged us into the morass of war in the region and squandered our influence is now trying to save his hide, (spell that L_E_G_A_C_Y), as well as his party, by pulling us out so that the meanies next door can do as they please. The term plausible deniability has never been stretched so far.
So, what does this mean for us, besides more economic chaos, gloom, doom and the like? The short answer here is I don't know, but that has never stopped me from having an opinion. As I alluded in my last post, there are, certain interests that are taking certain liberties with the overall interests of the republic and the American people with regard to the situation, (I used that term because I am not sure how tospell clusterf**k) in Iraq). This needs to be curtailed, right away. This is first and foremost a war zone, not a free trade area and it is to be treated as such. Privateers and corporate interests in the area should be heavily scrutinized and regulated, if for no other reason than homeland security. I am willing to bet that I as an individual cannot purchase ammunition to go hunting without making it onto a list maintained by who knows how many agencies. The fact that I am blogging may also make me a person of interest. Why not the act of exploiting a situation that puts our economic well-being at risk?
There is nothing wrong with doing business overseas, or in the mideast. But there is something wrong with supporting infrastructure that is routinely used to harm our own social and economic health. If that means abandoning the barrel over a few bad apples, well, then so be it. The profits will have to wait. We need to take heed the lessons that are only now, (and in the last 20 years or so) coming to light over the industrial ties that Nazi Germany had throughout World War II with the likes of Ford, Bayer Chemical, Standard Oil and IT&T. These companies had an ongoing and profitable relationship with the German government through offshore subsidiaries all through the war. Will our kids and grandkids look back at this era and wonder how we sat back and profited while the At&T's, Mobil's, BP's, GE's and Westinghouse's, (to name a few not necessarily guilty domestic candidates) of the world benignly sell their wares which (gasp!) are turned to mal-use by some hitherto unknown rogue regime like, for instance, Iran?
Then, for those of you who hadn't noticed, there is a changing of the guard coming up, and we will have a new president in 2009. That person will need to hit the ground running. Indeed, it can be argued that at least some of the situation we find ourselves in now can be attributed to the lack of experience of a President in 2001, (not that he got any better as things went along, but....). This will be the time to watch candidates as they tread water on the campaign trail and carve out a presence for themselves on the foreign policy stage. As voters, we need to be watching and listening carefully to the questions that are asked and the answers given. It is just as important that questions be answered directly as danced around, and issues brought into a candidates sights so we can judge the temper with which they answer as much as how well they say what we want to hear.
Get focused. Stay focused.
What they, (in the person of the foreign minister), said was that the world needed to be prepared for the worst case scenario, which was war, (in the situation surrounding Iran's nuclear non-program), has been twisted and exaggerated by a few parties, significantly Russia and Iran, to an actual threat of war. These verbal gymnastics are far more telling than almost any other indicator available to the common observer.
In a situation rich with irony, the richest is that the man who plunged us into the morass of war in the region and squandered our influence is now trying to save his hide, (spell that L_E_G_A_C_Y), as well as his party, by pulling us out so that the meanies next door can do as they please. The term plausible deniability has never been stretched so far.
So, what does this mean for us, besides more economic chaos, gloom, doom and the like? The short answer here is I don't know, but that has never stopped me from having an opinion. As I alluded in my last post, there are, certain interests that are taking certain liberties with the overall interests of the republic and the American people with regard to the situation, (I used that term because I am not sure how tospell clusterf**k) in Iraq). This needs to be curtailed, right away. This is first and foremost a war zone, not a free trade area and it is to be treated as such. Privateers and corporate interests in the area should be heavily scrutinized and regulated, if for no other reason than homeland security. I am willing to bet that I as an individual cannot purchase ammunition to go hunting without making it onto a list maintained by who knows how many agencies. The fact that I am blogging may also make me a person of interest. Why not the act of exploiting a situation that puts our economic well-being at risk?
There is nothing wrong with doing business overseas, or in the mideast. But there is something wrong with supporting infrastructure that is routinely used to harm our own social and economic health. If that means abandoning the barrel over a few bad apples, well, then so be it. The profits will have to wait. We need to take heed the lessons that are only now, (and in the last 20 years or so) coming to light over the industrial ties that Nazi Germany had throughout World War II with the likes of Ford, Bayer Chemical, Standard Oil and IT&T. These companies had an ongoing and profitable relationship with the German government through offshore subsidiaries all through the war. Will our kids and grandkids look back at this era and wonder how we sat back and profited while the At&T's, Mobil's, BP's, GE's and Westinghouse's, (to name a few not necessarily guilty domestic candidates) of the world benignly sell their wares which (gasp!) are turned to mal-use by some hitherto unknown rogue regime like, for instance, Iran?
Then, for those of you who hadn't noticed, there is a changing of the guard coming up, and we will have a new president in 2009. That person will need to hit the ground running. Indeed, it can be argued that at least some of the situation we find ourselves in now can be attributed to the lack of experience of a President in 2001, (not that he got any better as things went along, but....). This will be the time to watch candidates as they tread water on the campaign trail and carve out a presence for themselves on the foreign policy stage. As voters, we need to be watching and listening carefully to the questions that are asked and the answers given. It is just as important that questions be answered directly as danced around, and issues brought into a candidates sights so we can judge the temper with which they answer as much as how well they say what we want to hear.
Get focused. Stay focused.
posted by eccentric recluse at 4:52 PM
4 Comments:
There is nothing wrong with doing business overseas, or in the mideast. But there is something wrong with supporting infrastructure that is routinely used to harm our own social and economic health. If that means abandoning the barrel over a few bad apples, well, then so be it. The profits will have to wait.
Oh E_R..please let me know when this group finally comes to THAT realization...for my money...I would say, it'll never happen..
Eisenhower coined the term "military industrial complex" and warned us about it in his last speech as president. Is that not what you're talking about? I mean the term was thrown around a lot during Viet Nam, and parallels being what they are, and it wasn't that long ago.
Ike was right on in his day, but now, the MIC has become the Big Money Complex, whose character is a bit beyond definition, except that it seems to resemble a social and economic cancer, it feeds on its host until there is nothing left to feed on, without regard to the consequences to the host or itself.
I really hate my life.
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