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River,
Considering the horror and distruction cause by the German invasion of the Soviet Union 64 years ago, I wouldn't doubt there is a little lingering resentment making it easier to cut the Germans first.
That's why the Iraq war is going to be our Achille's heel going forward. With the two million deaths attributed to the US/UN embargo in the 1990s and the deaths attributable to this war, as soon as the troops leave we'll never get another drop of Iraqi oil.They'll just choose to do business with the Chinese or Pakistani's first.
The world energy dynamic has totally changed as we peak in production of liquid hydrocarbons. Demand has begun to exceed supply for the last couple of years, oil prices trending up without a big fall just proves the point. If there were a cheap substitute news of the substitute would already be circulating in the crowd that hangs out at TOD. Of course absence of news or a rumor isn't scientific proof, but its a damn good indicator.
Somehow the military industrial complex cheerleaders don't recognise that our past and ongoing behaviour counts. If I were a Moslem in the Middle East I'd be forced to conclude that the US hates Islam. We unswervingly support the most agressive elements of Israeli foreign policy and commit what can only be discribed as genocide, and that's not going to count in our business dealings with them? For the first time in our history except the extermination of our Indian tribes we openly support and encourage torture and they're not supposed to notice?
Once our Army leaves Iraq I expect an embargo. Its the only way the world can defang the US military. That's why we have to start mitigation now, and its going to have to be on a personal basis because our government is so deceptive, paralised and disfuntional. Bob Ebersole
Glad to see Americans coming around to this perspective.
American unilateralism and the misguided attempt to export the American way of life at the end of a rifle does nothing more than eliminate any last vestige of sympathy for America and her problems.
After 9-11 a French newspaper declared "we are all Americans now." America's response was ridicule and rejection.
The current headlines should read "we are all Venzeluan's now." Better that then suffer the fate of the Iraqui people at the hands of Saddham Bush: 60,000 lives and still counting.
A lot of Americans are dismayed at what the bastards are doing. I thought of leaving the country when Bush was reelected, but I decided it would be better to stay here and work to defeat the scumbags.
Dear New Account -
I don't know where you live, presumably outside the U.S. To me, your comment seems typical of people who don't realize how much deeply felt opposition there is to this Administration and it's policies.
Problem is, the Bush Administration and their supporters have perfected the "shout louder" strategy of so-called public discourse. That has made it exceedingly difficult for dissent to be seen and heard.
I have never heard that expression before, but it is very appropriate!
...60,000 lives and still counting.
Were it only so. You are missing a zero at the very minimum.
The Bush administration is an embarrassment to every American, with the exception of our disloyal Christian Right. Please don't imagine he speaks for us - 75% of us would like him out of office next Monday if not sooner.
9/11 was a terrible event brought on by the Bush administration's stupidity at the very least and perhaps studied indifference to the deaths of a few of the "little people" in order to further their ends.
We had a golden chance to declare a new age on 9/12/2001. Instead we set the clock back a hundred years so George could have his chance at the so called "Great Game".
The character the Bush administration has displayed is more appropriate for a rickety west African kleptocracy than the world's last surviving super power.
Please forgive us ...
Absolutely Bob, when a government fails to act in the best interests of 98% of its constituents, how can it claim legitimacy? As far as I can tell our government is now serving the interests of the American elite (2%) and the multinational corporations...one and the same thing. To make matters worse the opinion of ex-cia analyst Ray Mcgovern is that Rove stepped down because he doesnt want to be around to explain why we invaded Iran. Tony Snow is reportedly leaving for the same reason. Seems that Cheney is going to get his way once again.
http://www.antiwar.com/mcgovern/?articleid=11481
River,
The other explanation is that Rove was thrown off the sleigh to the following pack of wolves. They may think he's about to get indicted for the CIA leak.
I don't know what we're going to do. Its too late for an impeachment, if you recall, Watergate took more than a year and those crazies are talking about tactical nukes in Iran now. In my more paranoid moments I think the want to declare martial law and stop the election, because they'll be called to justice for war crimes, and nukeing Iran would give them the justification.
I just hope we didn't permanently loose the Republic when Gore failed to contest the Florida vote.
Bob Ebersole
"Its too late for an impeachment..."
This sentiment gets such a pass. We let him walk away, and all the transgressions he has committed become precident.
They say the next congress will get nothing done in the busy election season. Hogwash. Turn up the dial on investigations regarding anything he has done innaapropriatly and for gawd's sake, please get into writing the exact powers and authorities of the Vice President's office.
I don't care if the investigations and possible trials last well into Shrub's retirement. Pull him back from Paraguay or wherever the hell he slinks off to and ride his ass as long as it takes to clear his mess up.
It's not too late for impeachment. Impeachment takes precedence over all other business in Congress. And shutting down all other business in Congress would be better than continuing Business As Usual - a nice side benefit. The real reason we won't get impeachment is that Democrats fundamentally agree with Republicans in the defacto class warfare/coup that is going on.
I just purchased some solar PV today and had the pleasure of myself and the vendor being run through a terrorist database as part of the process. It's my @#$% money - why does the bank have to play informant? Because both Democrats and Republicans in the last days of this empire agree on the clampdown; it's required for the transition to serious tyranny where no transactions will be allowed except between approved entities.
We won't get impeachment because Democrats would have to appear like they were serious about it when they are serious about not doing it because they want the powers. Time is not the problem.
cfm in Gray, ME
You can impeach officeholders after they leave office. The purpose is to allow criminal prosecution for actions taken under the color of authority.
Exactly right, good for you. This is yet one more thing about our constitution that has been conveniently left untaught and ignored, so most Americans don't know about it.
Rove's potential indictment hinges on some small game played in Alabama over a House seat if I recall correctly. I do so hope that is what is happening, and now if the Democrats would only find the nerve to do what is needed with the rest of them.
If the current crop of Congresscritters were in charge in 1944 our soldiers would never have climbed those cliffs at Normandy ... "Too dangerous!" "We'll take casualties!" "Maybe the Nazis will get nicer as their regime ages!"
"maybe the neocons will get nicer as their regime ages " !
Interesting, this pretty much confirms my assumptions. This also confirms that a high quality aggregator of open source + expert analysis like The Oil Drum is a pretty good resource indeed.
I've written a dozen letters to my Senators about this over the last six months and still the war preparations continue.
Our inevitable war with Iran will ride in on the back of a false flag operation in the continental United States. Yes, the Bush administration is low enough to kill some of our own and blame it on outsiders so we can attack the Iranians.
We fought fascism to its death in 1945 ... only to take up the mantle ourselves sixty years later.
I think that government in Russia sees WW2 as Nazi invasion. Currently Germany is a major economic partner for Russia (probably the biggest economic partner). Putin's relation with previous German chancellor were best ever. I do not think there is any resentment toward Germany.
It's simply an economic actions. I doubt there is any politics or personal feelings involved.
Germany is not doing a thing for Russia that China cannot do more cheaply. Replacing Germany as a major trading partner with China would not be a real big deal. China is willing to sign long term oil/gas deals with Russia...the same deals that Germany and the remainder of Western Europe are complaining about.
I do not think that engineering in China is comparable to German, but that's just an opinion.
Russia is selling it's energy to both Germany and China now. At this point the party that pays the highest price will get the energy and goods will be bought from the company/country that has the lowest price. But say in case of trains I do not think that China can currently compete with Siemens. For subway building Russia buys some specialized machinery from Germany (I presume becasue it's the best equipment for the money). And so on.
My only point was that the discussed action was not political but economical.
Perhaps we should agree to disagree... :)
But maybe Russia needs to consider its relationship with Germany in light of Germany's power in the EU and NATO. If the US is really engaged in an imperialist scheme to encircle Russia, then Germany must cooperate with the US on everything everywhere. Obviously this is not quite the case right now, and the establishment of a permanent EU dependence on Russian energy, facilitated by Germany, can threaten the viability of a US-run NATO, which really should have been retired when the Cold War ended.
Putin speaks fluent german and has spent several years as KGB agent in former East Germany.
Does anybody know how many pipelines go from Russia to the EU? The pipeline which is now delivering less is probably a larger one.
cheers, mr