White House’s new benchmark: ‘enduring’ presence.
White House’s new benchmark: ‘enduring’ presence.
The New York Times recently reported that the Bush administration has “scaled back” its benchmarks for political progress in Iraq, instead “focusing their immediate efforts on several more limited but achievable goals.” Today, the administration announced one of its goals: an endless, unqualified, “enduring” presence in Iraq. Spencer Ackerman reports that the White House and the Maliki government released a joint declaration of “principles” for “friendship and cooperation.” The key principle:
Iraq’s leaders have asked for an enduring relationship with America, and we seek an enduring relationship with a democratic Iraq. We are ready to build that relationship in a sustainable way that protects our mutual interests, promotes regional stability, and requires fewer Coalition forces.
The White House’s embrace of a permanent presence contradicts their long record of declarations against permanent bases. White House war czar Gen. Doug Lute said the new long-term occupation plan won’t require Congress’ approval.
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WE ALL KNEW THIS A LONG TIME AGO.
Congress and rightards have been fooled.
November 26th, 2007 at 9:11 pmBushCo: Finding ways to give Congress the finger since 2006.
November 26th, 2007 at 9:12 pmanybody remember:
“operation enduring freedom” ?
November 26th, 2007 at 9:21 pmnew name: Operation Enduring Occupation
November 26th, 2007 at 9:23 pmBush and his kool-aid drinking followers:
“The military action against Iraq is to topple Saddam only. We will leave after that mission is accomplished.
No wait, it’s to help democratize that country. We will leave after the elections.
No wait, it’s to fight AlQaeda and other terrorists in Iraq. We will leave after the surge proves successful.
No wait, we will establish ‘enduring’ bases to promote regional stability. We will leave…. after… uh…. ”
And so the Bush administration keeps moving the goal posts and its followers keep drinking the sweet, sweet kool-aid.
November 26th, 2007 at 9:25 pmThis is just Bush, trying to make his successor continue the failed strategy. Well, let them have their last few months of playing at diplomacy. The new democratic president and majorities in both houses will make quick work of this anti-democratic “agreement.”
November 26th, 2007 at 9:26 pmI think we need to go and take out Saudi Arabia.
November 26th, 2007 at 9:31 pmWhen did anyone think we were leaving after that US “embassy” was started?
November 26th, 2007 at 9:32 pmlets see,
what does America get?
perpetual war at the taxpayers expense, needless deaths…
what do the deal makers get? BANK.
f.u.c.k these lunatics.
November 26th, 2007 at 9:32 pmbush gives the finger to America again.
November 26th, 2007 at 9:44 pm.
Guess it doesn’t need the approval of the American people, either—since 70% are opposed to staying!!!
PNAC and the Pentagon put this all down in writing about ten years ago. The Pentagon called it the “lily pad” strategy. They want to always have a presence in the Middle East.
November 26th, 2007 at 10:01 pmAs long as the oil lasts and Chevron wants it.
November 26th, 2007 at 10:02 pmSo Bush can sign an “agreement” like this without any congressional approval?
November 26th, 2007 at 10:08 pmIt appears that Congress is going to allow Bush to disrespect and dismiss them without nary a peep of objection.
Same old, same old.
Let the boy-king have whatever he wants or he will have a temper tantrum.
Endless, enduring presence…
November 26th, 2007 at 10:12 pmWasn’t that the point all along..?
Bush coming to an “agreement” with puppet Maliki over the ownership of Iraq reminds me of that scene in the movie Braveheart, at the battle of Falkirk, where the Scottish noblemen ride off the field, abandoning William and his men:
Robert the Bruce: Mornay, Lochlan?
Longshanks: I gave Mornay double his lands in Scotland and matching estates in England. Lochlan turned for much less.
November 26th, 2007 at 10:25 pmf.u.c.k these lunatics.
Exactly my sentiment
November 26th, 2007 at 10:27 pmSee, reptard bilge-rats? It’s all about the freedom!
November 26th, 2007 at 10:31 pmMany people “in the know” have said all along that S. Korea, Germany, and Japan, were the models. Except for the part where we flood the country we’re occupying with weapons. That’s just, well, “Right-tarded”.
November 26th, 2007 at 10:36 pmIt figures that they would choose a goal that is impossible to reach.
November 26th, 2007 at 10:45 pmWhos gonna pay for this debacle when the depression hits?
November 26th, 2007 at 10:52 pmSurprise, surprise — to get this dastardly announcement from Bush and his crooks. Ditto to #20 above. Where in the hell will we get the money to fund this disastrous illegal move? Does anyone in power even care?
November 26th, 2007 at 11:01 pmHey Lutey, anything that costs the American taxpayer money needs Congressional approval. Is this Bush speak and spin. The appropriation process is in place and expenditures must be aproved.
November 26th, 2007 at 11:01 pmHmmm…. A recent report on radio news said that what we’re getting in return for our continued presence is preferential treatment for american oil companies…
If that’s true, then that’s the real outrage. We’ll be subsidizing oil companies with american lives and tax dollars. And doing so explicityly in an agreement between governments.
Where is the outrage?
November 26th, 2007 at 11:22 pm“Two senior Iraqi officials familiar with the issue say Iraq’s government will embrace a long-term U.S. troop presence in return for U.S. security guarantees as part of a strategic partnership. The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the subject is sensitive, said U.S. military and diplomatic representatives appeared generally favorable, subject to negotiations on the details, which include preferential treatment for American investments.
Preferential treatment for U.S. investors could provide a huge windfall if Iraq can achieve enough stability to exploit its vast oil resources. Such a deal would also enable the United States to maintain leverage against Iranian expansion at a time of growing fears about Tehran’s nuclear aspirations.”
Well, there you go. Preferential treatment for U.S. oil companies to exploit the natural resources of a country that, despite never having attacked us, we invaded then occupied. And Maliki is ok with that, as long as we prop him up. Also, guess we get to keep all those “non-permanent” bases we’ve built. The U.S. is now officially the Roman Empire.
For an excellent look at what drives this crap, read “The Sorrows of Empire” by Chalmers Johnson.
November 26th, 2007 at 11:24 pmimpeachcheneythenbush,
November 26th, 2007 at 11:50 pmChalmers Johnson, Noam Chomsky, and William Blum have been telling us this for decades.
The current benchmarks were written into the supplemental spending bill for Iraq that began October 1st. It doesn’t seem to me that the President can simply ignore the law that he signed. General Petraeus is already required by that law to report on progress next March. Should Bush order Petraeus to not testify then it is time for Contempt of Congress citations to be issued, if political hardball is what it takes.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:14 amNo “news†here for anyone who has been paying attention.
you got that right!
November 27th, 2007 at 1:27 amObigfoot,
You think we control the puppet government in Iraq well enough so we will always get oil from them, but that may not be the case. The Iraqi people do not want us taking their oil. After what we have done to them[1.1 million dead, 4.5 million refugees, one in eight children die before age of five, #2 failed state in the world] they would rather sell their oil to China and Russia.
What happens then? Three Trillion dollars (that we do not have) and 4,000 US lives down the drain?
November 27th, 2007 at 1:37 amTrent Lott update:
HUSTLER RESPONDS:
HUSTLER Magazine has received numerous inquiries regarding the involvement of Larry Flynt
and HUSTLER in the resignation of Trent Lott. Senator Lott has been the target of an ongoing HUSTLER investigation for some time now, due to confidential information that we have received.
-GSD
November 27th, 2007 at 1:38 amWe could have electric plug-in cars and electric “filling stations”. We don’t have to drive around in monster trucks that get 5 miles to the dollar and hasten our destruction.
November 27th, 2007 at 1:39 amThe trolls still have as much grasp of history as Dubbya himself.
Once again; Japan, Germany, and Korea were all “occupied” under wide, one could say universal, mandates. Germany and Japan had been “bombed back to the stone age” and virtually all potential resistors were dead. And they didn’t have enough natural resources (oil in Iraq’s case) left; for them to worry about what our cut was.
(NOTE: Hitler’s Germany, and Imperial Japan more so, launched WW2 to capture natural resources. Both nations were running low on fuel for their industrialization.)
Korea, once partitioned, has been relatively free of internal schisms. North and South seem content to glare across the DMZ. I wonder what will happen if/when they reunite ala Germany?
And, finally, our military commitments in “the big three” have steadily shrunk. It will be interesting to see how long we can maintain them. Japan has virtually kicked us out. And Germany becomes more able to protect herself each day. If we piss them off enough, we’re gone.
Post WW2, Germany and Japan were in no position to mount an insurgency. South Korea had no desire. To compare Iraq to any of those three displays a profound ignorance and complete intellectual dishonesty. Such comparisons serve only to discredit one’s, alleged, education and reasoning abilities.
November 27th, 2007 at 1:56 amclevelandleader.com:
“Later on Monday, a Washington D.C. blog, Big Head DC, made the claim that Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt had uncovered a connection between Lott and an openly gay male escort by the name of Benjamin Nicholas.”
November 27th, 2007 at 2:15 amThe electricity has to come from somewhere.
Comment by O. Bigfoot — November 27, 2007 @ 2:21 am
Go outside tomorrow and look up at that great bright ball in the sky. I hope it blinds you. Toyota Prius gets 58 mpg. Germany gets 30% of their energy needs from renewables. Japan and Germany are leaving us behind.
“Knowledgable military leaders are saying” our Army and Marines will be broken by July 2008. Have you heard that the Taliban controls half of Afghanistan? You didn’t answer the question: what happens if Iraq decides to sell the oil to China and Russia because they don’t like the way we destroyed their country?
November 27th, 2007 at 2:29 amThe trolls have not figured out that we, a large majority of the American Public. are not willing to pay the price for Iraqi oil. The ill will of the rest of the world, alone, is too great a price. One single life is too great a price. Being subject to a criminal government is too great a price.There are countless alternatives we are willing to pay for. And they won’t cost a drop of blood.
Warlords can only survive with the willingness of the populace. We have revoked our consent. GET IT? Get used to it.
November 27th, 2007 at 2:37 amI see that O. Bedwetter has trashed the thread.
Worst President ever, Bedwetter.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:05 amWhat a surprise!
Seriously, at least they can stop lying about it now. The good news for Democrats is they can just tell the people they have to honour this Executive agreement if they take power. The pressure is off.
The bad news is that those groups lying low hoping we would eventually leave may be compelled to step up the resistance, or worse yet, get together like the Communists and Nationalists did in China when Japan invaded and occupied.
Anyways, we need oil, and given the current state of affairs, leaving Iraq would be national suicide. Didn’t have to be that way, but it is what it is.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:36 amCan’t change this reality unless someone has a time machine.
Okay, ignoring the trolls; here is what the constitution has to say about the president making treaties:
IE: Okay, Congress doesn’t get a say in this, but this strikes me as being a pretty good shot for the Senate Democrats to shoot Bush down in flames. He needs a 2/3rds majority to ratify this treaty guys, he isn’t in as strong a position as he thinks he is.
November 27th, 2007 at 4:04 amPart of the deal is Iraq gains FULL SOVEREIGNTY,
Explains now – Turkey was playing for America all the time in their plans to Invade Iraq , this was to get the UN mandate renewed
Also Maliki does not have the power for the US to stay, its up to the Iraqi parliment to implement this , the Iraqi parliment voted that it was them to decide if the Americans stay and NOT Maliki
November 27th, 2007 at 4:07 amThe demorats wound the Turks up to invade so the UN mandate would be renewed,
The demorats are playing Bushes cards for him , while being so pretentious
Bush must have begged Maliki to renew the UN Mandate , otherwise it was over for him, BUT the demorats helped Bush
Time for a revolution or vote Ron Paul
November 27th, 2007 at 4:37 amIraq wants full sovereignty when the new UN Mandate starts 01/01/08 , then they will expel the Americans, with NO oil
November 27th, 2007 at 5:13 amDreamCrusher
America is an occupying force in those countries. That they welcome America’s forces doesn’t change the fact that those forces qualify as occupying forces.
Kilo
The Iraqi people want to sell their oil. They don’t want America to come in, put its oil industry in charge of the oil fields and sell their oil, they want to do it themselves – so that they can get the money from it.
Of course, this is a frequently glossed-over detail of what the occupation means.
Along with the high costs involved (Enough money has been spent in one year to cover South Africa’s total budget for ten years), the deaths (This year was the deadliest on record) the cost in military flexibility, the cost in alliances (Australia, Poland, England, Spain, Italy…) the cost in world standing (America is now seen as a threat to world peace and you are a state which encourages torture) and the cost in domestic stability (as demonstrated by Katrina.)
November 27th, 2007 at 5:21 amFile this under, “Well DUH.”
November 27th, 2007 at 6:40 amEnduring presence?? You mean “Enduring disease/death sentence” for anyone agreeing to serve or live in the contaminated wasteland we’ve created there through the use of DEPLETED URANIUM MUNITIONS WE’VE BEEN USING?? What’s even more heinous is that GWB and his two predecessors knew precisely what depleted uranium would do. It’s half life is only 4.5 billion years!! This means the air, ground and water are totally toxic in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo and we’ve done this to these people and their environment.
What worse is that these Vets who served and were “exposed” bring the contamination back home to their families and loved ones via their clothing and semen – effectively and unknowingly sharing their “death sentence” with their families for the rest of their natural lives as well.
An International Tribunal convened for one year and found GWB to be “guilty of 31 war crimes” associated with this. Please check out the movie and see for yourself. It’s entitled “Beyond Treason” and is available free on the internet. I’ll provide a link below.
A congressional investigation needs to take place into these war crimes NOW. We cannot wait as more and more of our military are being exposed each day.
I ask every Republican who supports this henious and capricious illegal war to watch this evidence and then ask themselves what patriotism and treason really mean. I ask each of them to watch this film and then see if their hearts & souls still allow them to be “pro war”. We’ve destroyed these countries and people and have also destroyed our own men and women in the military in the process.
This is genocide in it’s fullest definition and it’s being perpetrated by GWB our traitor in chief.
November 27th, 2007 at 7:36 amU guess the wingtarded trolls have all gotten their talking points from the RNC/ What an ignorant bunch of traitors, led by the coward bigfoot, antiAmerican scum.
November 27th, 2007 at 7:36 amBeyond Treason – Every american needs to watch this free video (if you have the stomach for learning the truth about what we’ve been knowingly doing to our Vets). Here’s the download.http://www.livevideo.com/video/embedLink/BA726BD8A8F34C97B5A294ED0EF2D7DB/362082/beyond-treason-full-lengh-2.aspx
November 27th, 2007 at 7:41 amDidn’t work – I’ll try again.
November 27th, 2007 at 7:41 amHere it is again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0WVuNZ-b8s
This is precisely why Hillary Clinton is “more of the same” and involved in this up to her eyeballs. I wish Barak or John Edwards would get hold of this information and use it against her in an infomercial. Barak and John, are you listening??
November 27th, 2007 at 7:43 amP.S. I didn’t sleep a wink last night after watching this and learning this horrendous truth about our government.
November 27th, 2007 at 7:43 amOutrage over what? Long term energy security? “Progressives†don’t want us exploiting our own reserves, believing Caribou, trees, and rocks have more rights than people. We need oil from somewhere. Iraqis don’t put the rights of dirt and wildlife above the rights of people, and are willing to provide us with the oil we need.
Comment by O. Bigfoot — November 27, 2007 @ 1:27 am
War is not a long term energy security strategy.
We don’t need to establish permanent bases in every trading partner. We could buy the oil on the bourse like everybody else, but no. There’s plenty of oil in Venezuela and Iran and Iraq that we could purchase on the market, but our companies don’t want that.
They want exclusive production-sharing agreements so they can profit on both ends – they make money extracting the oil, refine it, then make money at the pump. AND get a nice fat subsidy.
We’re going to war to protect the bonuses of the top executives at ExxonMobil and Chevron and Texaco. That’s all. And you’re defending it. That’s criminal.
November 27th, 2007 at 7:48 amhmmm turns out there might be something to right wingers fear of gay al-qeeda weddins!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/11/26/iraq.bride/index.html?iref=topnews
November 27th, 2007 at 7:55 am#52: Veritas, I should point out that the long half-life of depleted Uranium means it’s less radioactive, not more. As point of fact, it’s less radioactive than your typical rock (because of short-lived radionucleotides in the rock). For those of us on the left to play up the supposed radioactivity of DU makes us look as scientifically ignorant as the climate-deniers on the right.
DU is dangerous because it’s a heavy metal, and heavy metals are incredibly toxic, not from any radiological properties, but purely from their chemical properties.
November 27th, 2007 at 8:01 am>My guess would be the protection details provided to the oil ministry staff >by the US get sent for R&R and after the funerals the replacement staff >take a different path.
As usual Kilo, your judgement is pure shiite. lets face it, you think a company whose employees are immune from criminal liability for thier actions have more oversight than any other company. if there was true democracy in iraq, the iraqis would soon be getting thier protection from iran. look in basra genius… how much is the american military prescense protecting government officials there? the answer? zero.. iranian backed shia militias are. persist in your delusions if you want, the fact is, the idea that we will always have iraqi oil because we are the only ones that can protect the government is absurd. if the us withdrawls, see the basra model spreading to more of iraq..
November 27th, 2007 at 8:04 am> It doesn’t seem to me that the
> President can simply ignore the
> law that he signed.
hahahahahahahahaha
November 27th, 2007 at 8:05 am>believing trees, and rocks have more rights
> than people.
people like you don’t make a stong argument for humanity’s superiority over vegetable matter…
>Until then, see ya’ down at the local filling station
did you get upgraded to windshield wiper boy?
>whether you like it or not, at this point we must win in Iraq.
if iraq democratically chooses a government like the ones the palestinians have, that that fall under the category of “victory” for you?
November 27th, 2007 at 8:08 amHey guys, I’m signing off now, I won’t be on for awhile, its finals time. I graduate in 2 weeks!! I ran the statistics for past years graduating classes, and I calculated that if I get all A’s this final semester (a possibility, since I did it for the first time last semester), I’ve got about a 50 percent chance of graduating Magna Cum Laude. wish me luck, and look for me suing and exposing a host of scumbags in the coming years! yipee!
November 27th, 2007 at 8:11 amPeter W: what does less radioactive actually mean?? That it’s no longer a danger to living things? Once the water and land has become radioactively contaminated, it’s O-V-E-R as far as any scientist can tell. Ever read Silent Spring by any chance?
This GulfWar Syndrome IS a death sentence to our own troops who have carried this toxicity home to their families. This IS genocide by our own government.
Why do you think that the International tribunal has found Bush guilty of 31 counts of “war crimes” – because what he’s done isn’t criminal or heinous?? I think not.
Regardless of the “half life” and whether it’s more or less toxic, the sad fact remains true: It’s toxic and life threatening which should be enough grounds for treason.
Parsing words and playing Bush games with semantics (whether it’s shelf life is more or less toxic) is fool’s play and you know it.
Knowledge is Power and this knowledge is definitely something this government wants to keep from the people.
November 27th, 2007 at 8:56 amI think it’s a gross misconception to believe that the govt foisted on the Iraqis by the Americans speak for the Iraqi people. Much like it’s ridiculous to believe the GWB administration speaks for the American people.
November 27th, 2007 at 8:59 amMaybe then we can move forward and get to the sad truth about what americans are ingesting that’s toxic and this government knows about as well. Even Communist China has recently upped their standards for toxicity in order to continue to do business with countries in the Eastern Union which has just signed into law new guidelines for toxic products. The dire prediction is that since the US has fallen to the status of a “third world country” without environmental protection standards and continues to import and use toxic ingredients in their products which are not being stopped or investigated upon importation, the United States will become a veritable “dumping ground” for those products known to be comprised of the chemicals which are being banned for European countries and even China. China knows where it’s bread is buttered – they’re complying with these new foreign laws in order to continue to do business with them.
The ONLY state in the US where toxic chemicals will NOT be found in either food, cosmetic, or toys will be California.
A new book will be hitting the streets entitled “Exposed” and it will be a “must read” for anyone concerned with how we are being poisoned in this country, while our government sits back and does nothing.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:02 amSit up and take notice, people. We are being poisoned by the food we eat and the pet food deaths are just part of a toxic iceberg which this government is involved in covering up.
Add to that the heinous crimes against humanity via the use of depleted uranium and you may begin to get a glimpse of just how dangerous this administration (and it’s two predecessors) actually are to the health and welfare of americans.
And when you’ve finished reading “Exposed” and/or watching the expose on depleted uranium “Beyond Treason” which is a free download, ask youself the critical question: If this government is this capricious as to so flagrantly disregard human life, how can anyone NOT conclude that the fact that 911 was an “inside job” is not only a possibility but perhaps even a strong probability.
Gut check time.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:06 amI think the Maliki goverment and bush are planning to recomend to congress that Iraq become the 52nd state. For sure they meet all the benchmarks for statehood and the democrats will certainly play along. they have sooo much to offer in the way of the democratic example.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:07 amIt’s going to take 200 years to clean up the mess the Republicans have made.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:09 amMaliki is the next Diem. In a few years he will be overthrown or killed, then a new strongman will emerge.
P.S. Please support your friendly neighborhood butcher.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:09 amDoesn’t anyone but me find the strange bedfellow relationship between Bill Clinton and Papa Bush a bit unusual?? Golfing buddies, indeed! Partners in crime is probably more accurate. This is precisely why we cannot support another Clinton White House – sorry Hillary. We know that we get two for the price of one and I don’t know about anyone else but I’m beginning to believe that’s precisely why the reichwing and the whoring media are propping up Hillary as the frontrunner. Either they get Giuliani which is “Bush’s Mini Me” or Hillary who is “Bush in disguise”.
As a nation, we cannot afford to continue 4 more years of this criminal behavior. Hillary is a “bush redux”. Maybe someone needs to ask Hillary what she knows about depleted uranium and it’s effects on our military during the next debate??
November 27th, 2007 at 9:09 amMaliki is Bush’s poodle and he will be overthrown sooner than even the pundits are prognosticating. As far as Bush’s “enduring presence” there, why would anyone knowingly and willingly serve in a totally contaminated country? Maybe this is precisely why members of the State Dept. balked when they were told that they would have to serve in Iraq. These people KNOW the truth about the toxicity of the environment there. They’re not fools: they know that a “death sentence” is a more accurate description of what would occur if they served in Iraq.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:11 amMaybe someone needs to submit a question to Ron Paul asking what he knows about “depleted uranium” and it’s destruction of life and environment in Iraq at the next debate????
November 27th, 2007 at 9:13 amanybody remember:
“operation enduring freedom†?
Comment by orionATL
Which is not “operation enduring occupation”. I heard on the news last night that the remainder of the Iraqi governments (including the Kurds) have to agree to the Iraq side of this. I doubt they will do it.
This “agreement” says that we have the right to occupy Iraq forever, as long as we agree to continue to protect the Iraqi government. Are you ready for a commitment to spend billions of borrowed dollars a month in Iraq forever?
November 27th, 2007 at 9:18 amif true, this means the war will never truly end… it’s time for a mutiny in the ranks…
November 27th, 2007 at 9:21 amIt’s OIL stupid.
The whole time this war has been going on and going back before September 11 2001 this Administration has been working towards this ongoing relationship with an Iraq with leadership that they can work together with in regards to OIL.
This is not a war on terror or about weapons of mass distruction. It might have some to do with religion (christian vs muslim) but as far as Bush and Cheney are concerned this is a business deal. Iraq and Iran have the second and third largest oil reserves (correct me if I’m wrong on that) and Amercian OIL companies want their share of this black gold mine. They also want this OIL traded in dollars and not euros.
November 27th, 2007 at 11:20 amThis one totally pissed me off. Bushie and his oil company pals have screwed us.
Some very tasty food for thought from Ted Rall today:
SIGN THE PLEDGE!
Trim Bush from American History
…Write (an actual letter, not email) to your favorite presidential candidate and declare that you are a single-issue voter. Swear that, if he or she agrees to sign the following Pledge, your vote is assured. If not, promise to stay home or vote for someone else.
“I, ______________, hereby solemnly pledge that my first act upon assuming the office of President shall be to sign an American Renewal Act of 2009, which shall declare all laws, regulations, executive orders, treaties and actions undertaken by the federal government during the illegitimate and unlawful administration of George W. Bush to be null, void and without effect.”
Sound crazy? So did Thomas Paine in 1775. As a practical and legal matter, however, consigning Bush to the dung heap of history makes more sense than revolting against the British.
Read the rest here:
http://tinyurl.com/ynq9vb
November 27th, 2007 at 11:21 amMy concern is that the lack of outrage may stem from a psychological issue with regard to the average American citizen’s need for oil. Our IPODS, our children’s toys, our fule to get to work and live our lives….and basically all of our prescious low-low-prices via Wal-Mart and Chinese exports all depend on OIL.
How many times have you seen or heard a friend or family member boast how happy they are about their local Wal-Mart’s great deals? How many times have you tried to tell them to not shop at Wal-Mart (or a similiar store full of cheap oil based products shipped from 1,000s of miles away or overseas using OIL) and they angrily said “I’m not shopping at those other places! They are too expensive!”
There’s your outrage right there. We are addicted to oil and low-low prices. Take away the oil and people will be outraged. Tell them the war in Iraq is and always has been a Resource War and they will react with angry disbelief and call you crazy while in their minds they may realize what that means. And we are all at fault. Our economy is entirely based on OIL. We have very little time to change that and even if we do soon (which I am all for that by the way, ie riding my bike and buying local non-petrobased products) people are going to have to be a bit uncomfortable and inconvenienced. And they won’t be happy.
Am I saying that the American people might deep down accept a resource war rather than the consequences of having no cheap oil? Maybe….but that would be crazy. Wouldn’t it?
November 27th, 2007 at 11:29 am“Enduring Presence”: this is either a codename for yet another ill-fated mission or a veiled admission of failure.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:04 pmThank you Veritas – we need to know the truth before we can begin to fight for our lives, our neighbors and a future for all of our children.
http://www.beyondtreason.com/
Gulf War Sickness: a progressive wasting condition
Leukemia in the Balkans
Our leaders knew the facts, but used the weapons anyway, probably because they just didn’t care–––a breach of trust with the American people so odious it can only be compared with an earlier US government policy of utilizing American GIs as guinea pigs during the period of atmospheric testing. We know that at least 300,000 American soldiers were willfully exposed to high levels of radiation during dozens of nuclear tests; not to mention the millions of American civilians who were also exposed to the fallout.[78]
In short, our leaders are guilty of not merely incompetence, nor even malfeasance, but of outright terrorism. _ With regard to 9/11, a further conclusion also appears inescapable. Given that our leaders knowingly used weapons certain to kill, injure and maim tens of thousands of our own soldiers, is it not likely they are also capable of murdering a smaller number of American civilians on 9/11 for similar reasons, i.e., out of political expedience? Given the naked facts, it would be hard to conclude anything else.
——–
September 22, 2007
Department of Veterans Affairs Reports 73 Thousand U.S. Gulf War Deaths
More Gulf War Veterans have died than Vietnam Veterans:
The Department of Veterans Affairs, May 2007, Gulf War Veterans Information System reports the following:
Total U.S. Military Gulf War Deaths: 73,846
– Deaths amongst Deployed: 17,847
– Deaths amongst Non-Deployed: 55,999
73,000 dead amongst the U.S. soldiers for this scale operation using weapons of mass destruction is not high – we expect the great majority of U.S. soldiers who took part in the invasion of Iraq to die of uranium poisoning, which can take decades to kill.
From a victors perspective, above any major war in history, The Gulf War has taken the severest toll on soldiers.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_clive_bo_070921_department_of_vetera.htm
November 27th, 2007 at 12:44 pmLook up Tesla for how alternate energy was destroyed by the Pathocrats who stole his work using the FBI. And WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR – google the film online, will make you angry.
http://www.simondale.net/house/intview.htmInterview:
Organic Architecture and its influence on Human Being
A Portrait of a Natural Way of Living
Overemphasis on ‘jobs’
The economy is still geared to fear of unemployment. The holistic alternatives to a job-based economy have yet to be even countenanced by the establishment. (This myopia is not limited to Britain, of course. At present the main priority of planning in all the major economic powers in the world is to find solutions to unemployment.)
Planners pretend that in twenty years’ time our society will still be in the same state as their elders insisted it was when they took their diplomas. They should be looking forward to a society in which people are engaged in real work of their own choice, and this only happens when people have access to land, if they need it. The threat to our whole way of life posed by dramatic climate changes and sea level rise has so far been totally ignored by planners.
You are looking at pictures of our family home in Wales. It was built by myself and my father in law with help from passers by and visiting friends. 4 months after starting we were moved in and cosy. I estimate 1000-1500 man hours and £3000 put in to this point. Not really so much in house buying terms (roughly £60/sq m excluding labour).
The house was built with maximum regard for the environment and by reciprocation gives us a unique opportunity to live close to nature. Being your own (have a go) architect is a lot of fun and allows you to create and enjoy something which is part of yourself and the land rather than, at worst, a mass produced box designed for maximum profit and convenience of the construction industry. Building from natural materials does away with producers profits and the cocktail of carcinogenic poisons that fill most modern buildings.
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I couldn’t agree more.
I am completely up for setting up a community and believe it is a very good option. I don’t like living among people trapped in the system. I don’t want to be part of the system and I really think that we should cut our losses and stop participating in the system. I have been researching the subject and giving it a lot of thought. I think that spending our lives living in their communities is a dead loss. I feel like I am part of the system even tho i do not agree with it. I see that there would be a lot more strength in numbers and the opportunity to live free.
I see that by continuing to live a ‘normal’ life I am inadvertently financing the NWO and am not leading by example. I am not living by what I believe in.
davidickeforums.com
November 27th, 2007 at 12:50 pmKilo
I posted all of that because right now, what the occupation means to the Iraqi people is that their oil, is being pumped, processed and exported by American companies – not Iraqi ones.
It is a major root to why Iraq’s oil output is down on when Saddam was in power- the Iraqi people want their oil.
And it is a lie to say that Iraqi’s don’t have the expertise to do it themselves, because them being an oil exporting nation isn’t exactly a recent development.
The basic flaw in how you see the situation is you don’t seem to understand that the Iraqis aren’t exporting their oil, the US is.
November 28th, 2007 at 8:43 amXisithrus -Whos gonna pay for this debacle when the depression hits?
Oh, we”ve got unlimited resources . . . just ask Bush”oil, gas, just ask Dick.”
“Billion here, trillion there…heck, i’ve never balanced a check book in my life . . . I just keep the faith.
You shuld 2. Hell. This war wadn’t my fault. Just ask Rove.”
Well, heck dub’ya, we should ask my three limbed, one eyed bud. . . . .wha . . .d’ya think?
December 1st, 2007 at 7:27 amDepression? What depression? Fannny Mae just foreclosed on my house . . . they were great … offered me delightful housiing just outside NO in a trailor. Unfortunately, my son’s got a brain disease and the formaldihine isn’t supposed to be so good for him.
Probably not for the rest of us either, but somebody’s gotta keep a clear head. . . . just got these votin’ ballots. Apparently, vote’s a wile a way . . . but just to make sure red is red . . . best time is now to put it to bed. Man said.
Kinda ketchy, man said . . . [heh, I made a rime].
December 1st, 2007 at 7:36 amGod,
It’s great to be a vet in the USA.
December 1st, 2007 at 7:45 am