the 1 billion complex is an indicator that we have occupied a country to rape them of their resources -- long term we have been planning this for 30 years we are the new OPEC we are sending 20k more troops in to guard the pipelines and infrastructure being built by the major oil companies we are battling the migration of other economies to petro-euros or a diversified petro-currency portfolio if we weren't there the US military industrial congressional complex would collapse due to expensive oil and the adoption of the petro-euro I agree with what Sagan said: we need to get smarter faster and wake up to the fact that this 'war' has nothing to do with terrorism but is a global land grab to save our destructive way of life and maintain our empire good eye opener: 'Confessions of an Economic Hitman' by John Perkins...read it... we need to fight this system, let it collapse so we can get to the next stage of evolution which needs us to establish a sustainable way of living on this planet speed the collapse!

by anechoic (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 51 comments) on Friday, Jan 26, 2007 at 11:25:01 AM

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If Confessions of an Economic Hitman were a movie, it would be scarier than SAWI + SAWII+ SAWIII + The Hitcher + Hostel times ten. Absolutely the most revealing and frightening book about the condition of the multi-national corporate state ever written. Read Confessions of an Economic Hitman and KILL YOUR TELEVISION. Connect with other people who share your goals and desires, and MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Protest (in Washington or wherever you are) this Saturday, January 27, 2007 and as often after that as necessary. CharlieL Portland, OR

by Charlie L (2 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 747 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Jan 26, 2007 at 3:32:45 PM

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sorry -- pre-caffeine typo! ;)

by anechoic (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 51 comments) on Friday, Jan 26, 2007 at 11:26:49 AM

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set of questions: 1. Who did 9/11? Why wasn't there any criminal investigation and no trial? 2. Does Al- Qaeda really exist? Europeans say it does not. 3. Who gave our govt a right to decide unilaterally which country in the world is 'good' or 'bad'. Why is that our people in the US agree with such assessments? Are we all mad or only the govt is? 4. Who the Hell gave our govt a right to tell other countries what to have and not to have. If we have nuclear weapons and India does, why not Iran? 5. Is there any connection between the oil-obscession of the ruling elite and the prices of gas here in the the US? Does an average US person profit from any govt murderous endeavors? Do we really think that there never will be a revenge on us for kiiing more then 0.5million people or that Bush would protect us from that revenge? Again, are we mad or what? 6. Who pays for all those wasteful escapades in billions of dollars? If we, the taxpayers, how is then we still buy so much on Christmas, Valentine's Day and Thanksgiving? 7.Is there at least a slightest truth in the information we receive from the official media about the events in Iraq and Afghanistan (hint: the only truth we get is that there are Sunni and Shia living there; everythig else is a lie)? 8.What do other people in the world say about us as people and as a country? 9. Do they hate us or maybe we hate them? Who asked such questions before ( hint: white people when black people were discussed). 10. Why is that the Justices Roberts and Alito had never ever tried a criminal case and were still nominated (and passed!) for the Supreme Court? 11. Maybe we should first mind our own business before we 'fix' someone else? I would argue that if anyone of us first answer these questions above at least for thyself, we then would not need to ask the questions about Middle East because we would surely have our hands full fixing things right here, in TN, OK, CO, CT, MA, ME, .....and District of Columbia, first and foremost.

by Mark Sashine (72 articles, 19 quicklinks, 269 diaries, 4101 comments [131 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Jan 26, 2007 at 12:11:44 PM

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Ive a question as well; why is it that the citizens of these United States are so easily led, so easily satisfied with mediocrity in government and so unwilling to think?

by ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2377 comments) on Friday, Jan 26, 2007 at 5:25:14 PM

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. .. Just a little conjecture; Say you were raised from childhood in a family who were descended from well documented, ancient lines of blood. Let's say that the family that nurtured you had a pride of place in their peer group and also of their ancestor's actions in supporting a particular philosophy because of the fact that their ancestors had gained the family's social dominance by profiting from the Chaos other citizens of their eras were subjected to. Fore-knowledge had benefited the family and the family owed an allegiance. Suppose that from earliest childhood, all of the mentors you ever had in your formative years constantly reminded you that you owed a debt to the creator of the opulence of your lifestyle. That a tithe was due. Pretend that unlike you and I, his tithe was not due to the good of the less fortunate. Nor even to support a religion that glorifies the civilized ability to absorb injustice and shun urges of reprisal against personal wrongs, to look for rewards of subserviance after death. Rather he was taught that when he was called on, that he would follow instructions. That is the family business. The Bush family are lackeys, they are from a long, long line of lackeys. The Bush line goes from our president to 1696 in America, but the family came here as a refugee of political strife in England. The first Bush settlers in America were aligned with the Scots who owned the East India Co. and who promulgated the Presbyterian form of worship. Presbyterians were positive that a man knew the lord's will from his heart and did not require a series of priests, bishops and cardinals, to convince the pope that the usury sin was outmoded. Seeing as the church had set itself up as unmovable because the pope spoke with infallible words, the was a requirement for an alternative religion. Enter Martin Luther. Our elitist is taught how his family was almost eliminated in their historic struggle to advance the acceptance of a religion that honors capital acquisition. He is instilled with the responsibility of carrying on the responsibilities his kin have always been asked to fulfill. He is told of his ancestral past gaining a step up the ladder by their participation in the opium trade to China in the early 1800s. He is told from an early age that the connection to those East India Company backed American opium smugglers enabled his great-grand father to find himself a vice president of Remington Arms before the first world war, and through a fortunate circumstance, his grand father married into the family who directed that original English Civil war and had a strong voice in the cartel that grew out of the original British East India Co., He can't help but be evil. it's all he knows. HANG THE TREASONOUS SCUM .. .

by cliff567 (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 165 comments) on Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 4:26:59 AM

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Of course we're planning to stay in Iraq. If we can control the oil in Iraq some people think we will be safe and secure, financially and otherwise for a long time. How smart to you have to be to come to that realization.

by Mark A. Goldman (81 articles, 2 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 243 comments) on Friday, Jan 26, 2007 at 3:06:36 PM

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"That means 9 to 12 trillion dollars in profits. It's a profit that is just inconceivable." --Jim Paul, Executive Director of Global Policy Forum. He is based at the United Nations and monitors events there. He has authored a number of reports on oil companies and Iraq. They can be found on www.globalpolicy.org. click here Crimes of the State Blog http://crimesofthestate.blogspot.com/

by johndoraemi (17 articles, 12 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 166 comments [3 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Jan 26, 2007 at 7:33:39 PM

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Well I'll be darned, some people in the U.S. are finaly beginning to see the wood fer the trees. Admittedly, a bit late, but better late then never. I'm most relieved to see, people are finaly beginning to realise, the U.S. troops are in Iraq to stay as long as the oil lasts. You better believe it. And as for Sunni's killing Sheites, DUH, seriously people, have you forgotten Nicaragua/Guatemala et al ? Wherein murderous killing squads rampaged for years murdering off the opposition ? Guess which country supported the murders and kept them supplied with their equipment to carry out their deeds ? And Oh Hey, who was at the helm controling them ? Wasn't it a guy named Negroponte or some such, and wasn't that same guy placed in charge in Iraq ? And you people wonder why these killings are happening ? DUH! I'm continualy astounded at the stupidity of many Americans, and their short sightedness.

by Eddy Schmid (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 234 comments [17 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 2:02:51 AM

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