(Untitled)
This was originally written as a reply to an entry by noven However, it kept growing until it was to long to fit in a comment..
The original comment is here
( History of drug dealng by western governments )
The original comment is here
( History of drug dealng by western governments )
I know the political evolution path you talk about, and my dismay was more a reflection on the people of America than any misunderstanding about the political wheels. The much maligned second amendment {"the right to bear arms"} actually had a very important purpose - to enable the American people to form armed militias for the purpose of protecting themselves from the government. Now it is merely an excuse for arms companies to make huge profits and to continue the infighting and murders amongst the populace.
The US dollar is a very interesting point. It *was* backed by gold and silver - until the US became unable to support it's debt. Then it decided that 'market forces' were a much better tool to support the currency. Military power is definitely one of the critical props, but the 'civilized' world officially recognises two different ones - market forces {peoples desire to have the US$, directly tied in with the observation you made about other countries being linked to it's value} and one you missed - that the middle east will only accept US$ for its oil.
Market forces *can* shift direction. It would mean a lot of pain for those rich people heavily invested in the US market, but there has already been a significant exodus of big money out of the US$ and into the Euro. As to the oil market - well Saudi Arabia recently shifted 10% of it's reserves to the Euro {and likely to shift more in the near future}, and is now accepting it for oil. OPEC is expected to make this a formal policy move in the near future. Now what impact could that have on the US$?
You are dead right about the 'turning point'. To the rest of the world the stolen election was clear, obvious and disgusting {an election with a similar turnout and problems in Iraq would be considered invalid by the rest of the world}. A large amount of Americans also believe it was stolen. I expect theocratic dictatorial governments to attempt such coups. What I am shaking my head about is that a sophisticated, educated and {supposedly} empowered populace would sit back and let it happen. Look at the demonstrations in Mexico over their stolen election.
Machiavelli was writing about controlling a population that was used to a monarchy or other unelected government, was uneducated and ill-informed and had not the means to seriously defend themselves. The fact that the same techniques still work centuries later on a vastly more capable populace hammers my faith in humanity. {Heh, I'd love to see the Repugs try the theory of "killing off all the potential dissidents, and then hold huge celebrations to make the people forget. Oh, wait...}
Your analysis of drugs and weapons in profit is accurate, although nowadays oil completes the trilogy. That is what the current power plays are about. Oil profits. Drugs and weapons are sewn up, oil is still too volatile and controlled too much by 'not our type of people'. They must be really sweating this one, considering their self-imposed dependence on oil - a resource they thought they could control but is now slipping from their grasp.
I hope {and expect} a lot more suffering will start to befall middle America. Household debt outweighs earnings. National debt outweighs GDP. Americas prestige is in free-fall, the things that prop up their economy proving increasingly shaky {yes, even their military might} and the elite is going to let it all fall on the shoulders of the rest of the country.
I wonder how much they will take before finally rising up - or whether when the time comes they still have the means and the information to make a stand. I see the US falling into a bunch of selfish independant states - will they merely fight amongst each other or will they finally recognise the real enemy?
Reply
Yes, which makes me wonder how it will all go down in America.. Having a large section of the domestic population armed means that invasion by subterfuge is far preferable to invasion by force.
I am reminded of the last track off 'Lateralus' by Tool, where the guy calling into the radio show say "they want these natural disasters to happen, they want those population centres wiped out, so that the remaining people will be easier to control."
The way global warming is going, this could become a very likely scenario. All the govt has to do is prepare itself so that it survives the floods and cyclones, after which, it can impose whatever order it likes upon the weakened and traumatized populace.
Market forces *can* shift direction. It would mean a lot of pain for those rich people heavily invested in the US market, but there has already been a significant exodus of big money out of the US$ and into the Euro. As to the oil market - well Saudi Arabia recently shifted 10% of it's reserves to the Euro {and likely to shift more in the near future}, and is now accepting it for oil. OPEC is expected to make this a formal policy move in the near future. Now what impact could that have on the US$?
You are talking about the shifting of global currency reserves towards the euro, however, as long as all world oil trade is conducted in USD through NYMEX and Brent, all countries need to keep a supply of USD around to buy thier oil with.
The last person who sold oil for euros was Saddam Hussien, however, the Iranians have been in the process of opening the IOB, or Iranian Oil Bourse, which will deal exclusively in euros. I suspect that the reason its opening has been delayed is because of the leverage it gives Iran over the US - without oil, the dollar would be effectively worthless.
In my opinion, what we are seeing is the start of world war 3, for real.
According to the ISI (Pakistani Intelligence) the US must invade Iran by October, before it loses control of congress. Apparently, thier strategy is to use a number of low yield nuclear weapons, mainly because it has been so long since anyone dropped one, the fear factor is starting to wear off.
Of course, the likely Casus Belli will have something to do with Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program, plus thier support for Hezbullah. Watching them spin a case for a nuclear strike out of that should be interesting.
I have a theory actually that what they may do is drop a nuke on a uranium enrichment facility or reactor, then claim that the explosion was an accident caused by Iran's secret nuclear program...
Stay tuned, I guess... =)
Reply
HAH!
The US is certainly the country that should shoulder the largest blame for global warming. And look at how they treat their citizens when disaster does strike. Hezzbolah knows how to deal with disaster - look at their efforts in the aftermath of the Israeli bombing. Maybe the US should have called them in to deal with New Orleans.
While Americas unpopularity soars in the middle east, just watch the shifts to accepting euros for oil. There may be a period of wringing all the political concessions they can out of the US before fully enacting it, but it will happen.
I hadn't thought about that nuclear subterfuge. Now I do it seems very reasonable and plausible. Scary fucking thought. But no matter how they spin it the world won't fall for it. Scary fucking times.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment