Tragic to see the Wagner Mercenaries active in a mineral rich area. I hope the Democracy can survive. So many problems already due to inequity. Indeed, a volatile part of the world.
Tragic to see the Wagner Mercenaries active in a mineral rich area. I hope the Democracy can survive. So many problems already due to inequity. Indeed, a volatile part of the world.
With only a few exceptions (Mostly Norway) that I am aware of, resource extraction seems to breed economic asymmetry, and with it despotic distribution of power. That's enough in itself to be exploring greener, less centralized energy production. Fossil fuel producers have for too long had the world over a barrel. Concentration of any sort of coercive power tends to corrupt, and how much suffering and conflict around the world is due to this. Would the US have bothered to bomb Iraq if their primary export had been cabbages?
"Would the US have bothered to bomb Iraq if their primary export had been cabbages?"
Probably not but who knows? We bombed Vietnam for 20 years for nothing at all. Well, initially we were trying to stop Ho Chi Minh from throwing off the yoke of French Colonialism and keep the Vietnamese people under the Colonial thumb.
But, after a while, not even very long, we were just bombing to bomb. There was no real reason. Perhaps we just had men with poor judgement in leadership here?
We do not like to think about those things. That is why voting is so important. Deep down we knew Nixon and Bush/Chaney we were not for peace. If Afghanistan had really been a democracy would it have been so easy for the Taliban to come back? And why did we attack Iran and not Saudi Arabia? My thought at the time DJT made his mad bargain was, "too bad Obama had so much hope for them. We stayed too long past our welcome."
We cannot afford to attack in words or military Saudi Arabia; the Royal Family have the most ЁЯТ░ЁЯТ░ЁЯТ░on planet Earth made from fossil fuels of which they have the most as well. Bite the hand that lines our pockets? They can get away with monstrous human rights abuses bombing Yemen over religious differences, taking out all the infrastructure, starving innocent people. Murdered and mutilated Jamal Khashoggi suffered no consequences, a reporter for the Washington Post. According to Trump at the time, of course, тАЬthey are very fine people.тАЭ LetтАЩs not forget they get their weapons from the USA! Our military industrial complex has jobs because of the atrocities committed by the Saudi Regime. Definition of corruption at the highest level. Makes me physically ill; but the status quo will never change.
Did I leave out the most aggregious of all? The trained in the USA Saudi pilots that took down the World Trade Centers and attacked the Pentagon on 09/11/2001? Had it not been for the heroic intervention of the passengers aboard flight #93 that awful day, a fourth plane would have taken down the White House or Capitol. Sure, very fine people. TrumpтАЩs friends.
Yes indeed and Jared Kushner swung a sweet deal with the Saudi's for billions$$$ for his ill conceived "hedge fund" start-up. Follow the money my friends.
Don't forget keeping women as chattel. That we continue to maintain a "friendly" relationship with Saudi Arabia, says a lot about how we think about women.
"As we move toward the celebration 2 years from now of the 200th anniversary of this Nation's independence, let us press vigorously on toward the goal I announced last November for Project Independence. Let this be our national goal: At the end of this decade, in the year 1980, the United States will not be dependent on any other country for the energy we need to provide our jobs, to heat our homes, and to keep our transportation moving. To indicate the size of the Government commitment, to spur energy research and development, we plan to spend $10 billion in Federal funds over the next 5 years. " - Richard Nixon (THAT Richard Nixon)
Agreed. Yes, I'm sure they decided the price was too high. I think it was a bad decision. In many ways Osama got what he wanted ...he did a lot of damage here. If you get a chance you might be interested in Steve Schmidt's substack post today. It was excellent.
Interesting you mention Iraq. I lived in Niger for a time in the early 2000's and saw the effect 9/11 and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had on the country. The American embassy, like in many countries, had been turned into a fortress and outreach (like English and other classes, lending libraries, etc.) throughout the country had been seriously cut back or eliminated. Nigeriens I met, who had benefited from these programs, realized the loss for their children and the country as a whole. And around this time, while we were wasting trillions on two wars, China increased its presence. Almost overnight it went from an embassy the size of a small house into its own fortress and they began building a bridge in Niamey (2006 or 2007 I think), but not with local workers who could have greatly benefited from the work and helped the local economy, but with (reportedly) Chinese prisoners who were watched by armed guards. Niger, a desperately poor but beautiful country -- with uranium! -- has not, over time, been served well by the French, Americans, Chinese and now whomever is involved in this recent coup.
Unlike the harsh "reparations" forced upon Germany after WW l that arguably helped the NAZIs take power, the US deployed the ally-building Marshall Plan, that among other things, blunted Soviet influence in injured states. I have wondered if even a decent share of money literally wasted in Iraq and Afghanistan had been successfully improved the lot of those nation's citizens if we would now have more friends and influence?
The "Domino Theory" seemed MTG-like word-salad from the get-go. I think the Vietnam War was part and parcel of a swing back to disinforming and manipulating the electorate, which the "Pentagon Papers" laid wide open. Between the Spanish-American War and Iraq Part II, mass media had been doing some critical reporting and thinking, which government policies had encouraged. The massive death toll in Vietnam utterly lacked the necessity of our fight against the Axis.
And they seem to think nothing of sending people into the carnage to kill other people and then not providing the injured with enough support once they return. It's unconscionable that elites keep sending other people's children to war, for ideology, and profit. How do so many sociopaths bubble to the top?
I suppose that part of it is that "the top". total domination, is all they care about. But its weird how so many, often far worse for it, support their ambitions.
JL, yes for sure. And what is so troubling to me is the lack of thoughtfulness consideration involving those folks who are the decision makers when it comes to people's lives. With Vietnam there was a treadmill and only after 30 years McNamara saw it. I don't know how we can do better but we should.
I have never understood what the Vietnam War was supposed to accomplish. The rationale shared with the public always seemed absurd. The trouble with self-government is the amount of effort it takes to become informed and think things through, or else it's not really self government.
It seems to me that there are recognizable patterns of behavior which are clearly appealing to human beings into which we would be wise not to slip. Is there a more compelling way to draw attention to that than we have applied up to now? I sure hope so. How much human misery is collectively "self-imposed" and what is our potential for mutually empowering, responsible societies; liberty and justice, as far as we can manage it, for all?
Oh yes, that goes without saying........actually it is THE GOAL WE MUST ACHIEVE; did not mention, getting redundant in the conversation. Or тАЬfascismтАЭwill overtake us, the narrative of all stated or unstated rhetoric every day.
Tragic to see the Wagner Mercenaries active in a mineral rich area. I hope the Democracy can survive. So many problems already due to inequity. Indeed, a volatile part of the world.
With only a few exceptions (Mostly Norway) that I am aware of, resource extraction seems to breed economic asymmetry, and with it despotic distribution of power. That's enough in itself to be exploring greener, less centralized energy production. Fossil fuel producers have for too long had the world over a barrel. Concentration of any sort of coercive power tends to corrupt, and how much suffering and conflict around the world is due to this. Would the US have bothered to bomb Iraq if their primary export had been cabbages?
"Would the US have bothered to bomb Iraq if their primary export had been cabbages?"
Probably not but who knows? We bombed Vietnam for 20 years for nothing at all. Well, initially we were trying to stop Ho Chi Minh from throwing off the yoke of French Colonialism and keep the Vietnamese people under the Colonial thumb.
But, after a while, not even very long, we were just bombing to bomb. There was no real reason. Perhaps we just had men with poor judgement in leadership here?
Perhaps the American War Machine gobbling up money makes certain corporations very rich....
Which is why Republicans have no trouble boosting military spending while they consider social programs a waste.
Wars keep the weapons manufactures in business. Money is the reason.
We do not like to think about those things. That is why voting is so important. Deep down we knew Nixon and Bush/Chaney we were not for peace. If Afghanistan had really been a democracy would it have been so easy for the Taliban to come back? And why did we attack Iran and not Saudi Arabia? My thought at the time DJT made his mad bargain was, "too bad Obama had so much hope for them. We stayed too long past our welcome."
We cannot afford to attack in words or military Saudi Arabia; the Royal Family have the most ЁЯТ░ЁЯТ░ЁЯТ░on planet Earth made from fossil fuels of which they have the most as well. Bite the hand that lines our pockets? They can get away with monstrous human rights abuses bombing Yemen over religious differences, taking out all the infrastructure, starving innocent people. Murdered and mutilated Jamal Khashoggi suffered no consequences, a reporter for the Washington Post. According to Trump at the time, of course, тАЬthey are very fine people.тАЭ LetтАЩs not forget they get their weapons from the USA! Our military industrial complex has jobs because of the atrocities committed by the Saudi Regime. Definition of corruption at the highest level. Makes me physically ill; but the status quo will never change.
Did I leave out the most aggregious of all? The trained in the USA Saudi pilots that took down the World Trade Centers and attacked the Pentagon on 09/11/2001? Had it not been for the heroic intervention of the passengers aboard flight #93 that awful day, a fourth plane would have taken down the White House or Capitol. Sure, very fine people. TrumpтАЩs friends.
Yes indeed and Jared Kushner swung a sweet deal with the Saudi's for billions$$$ for his ill conceived "hedge fund" start-up. Follow the money my friends.
NEVER FORGET; how does that phrase go? Keep your friends close but your enemies CLOSER.
Don't forget keeping women as chattel. That we continue to maintain a "friendly" relationship with Saudi Arabia, says a lot about how we think about women.
How could I have momentarily overlooked that obvious DESPICABLE characteristic of Saudi behavior? Thanks for filling in that gap!
"As we move toward the celebration 2 years from now of the 200th anniversary of this Nation's independence, let us press vigorously on toward the goal I announced last November for Project Independence. Let this be our national goal: At the end of this decade, in the year 1980, the United States will not be dependent on any other country for the energy we need to provide our jobs, to heat our homes, and to keep our transportation moving. To indicate the size of the Government commitment, to spur energy research and development, we plan to spend $10 billion in Federal funds over the next 5 years. " - Richard Nixon (THAT Richard Nixon)
Agreed. Yes, I'm sure they decided the price was too high. I think it was a bad decision. In many ways Osama got what he wanted ...he did a lot of damage here. If you get a chance you might be interested in Steve Schmidt's substack post today. It was excellent.
Interesting you mention Iraq. I lived in Niger for a time in the early 2000's and saw the effect 9/11 and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had on the country. The American embassy, like in many countries, had been turned into a fortress and outreach (like English and other classes, lending libraries, etc.) throughout the country had been seriously cut back or eliminated. Nigeriens I met, who had benefited from these programs, realized the loss for their children and the country as a whole. And around this time, while we were wasting trillions on two wars, China increased its presence. Almost overnight it went from an embassy the size of a small house into its own fortress and they began building a bridge in Niamey (2006 or 2007 I think), but not with local workers who could have greatly benefited from the work and helped the local economy, but with (reportedly) Chinese prisoners who were watched by armed guards. Niger, a desperately poor but beautiful country -- with uranium! -- has not, over time, been served well by the French, Americans, Chinese and now whomever is involved in this recent coup.
Unlike the harsh "reparations" forced upon Germany after WW l that arguably helped the NAZIs take power, the US deployed the ally-building Marshall Plan, that among other things, blunted Soviet influence in injured states. I have wondered if even a decent share of money literally wasted in Iraq and Afghanistan had been successfully improved the lot of those nation's citizens if we would now have more friends and influence?
Likely!
The "Domino Theory" seemed MTG-like word-salad from the get-go. I think the Vietnam War was part and parcel of a swing back to disinforming and manipulating the electorate, which the "Pentagon Papers" laid wide open. Between the Spanish-American War and Iraq Part II, mass media had been doing some critical reporting and thinking, which government policies had encouraged. The massive death toll in Vietnam utterly lacked the necessity of our fight against the Axis.
Mike, McNamara's The Fog of War explains your last sentence in some respects.
Those who see war as an asset seem keen to deploy smoke screens around their true agenda.
And they seem to think nothing of sending people into the carnage to kill other people and then not providing the injured with enough support once they return. It's unconscionable that elites keep sending other people's children to war, for ideology, and profit. How do so many sociopaths bubble to the top?
I suppose that part of it is that "the top". total domination, is all they care about. But its weird how so many, often far worse for it, support their ambitions.
JL, yes for sure. And what is so troubling to me is the lack of thoughtfulness consideration involving those folks who are the decision makers when it comes to people's lives. With Vietnam there was a treadmill and only after 30 years McNamara saw it. I don't know how we can do better but we should.
I have never understood what the Vietnam War was supposed to accomplish. The rationale shared with the public always seemed absurd. The trouble with self-government is the amount of effort it takes to become informed and think things through, or else it's not really self government.
It seems to me that there are recognizable patterns of behavior which are clearly appealing to human beings into which we would be wise not to slip. Is there a more compelling way to draw attention to that than we have applied up to now? I sure hope so. How much human misery is collectively "self-imposed" and what is our potential for mutually empowering, responsible societies; liberty and justice, as far as we can manage it, for all?
With so much of Niger becoming desert yearly wouldn't it make sense to be producing energy sun-energy farms for the rest of Africa?
And assuming that is somehow practical, would it not be in our own best interest to help out?
Good question, Robin.
Good question.
That is exactly why they are there!
Judith, I hope OUR Democracy can survive!!!
Oh yes, that goes without saying........actually it is THE GOAL WE MUST ACHIEVE; did not mention, getting redundant in the conversation. Or тАЬfascismтАЭwill overtake us, the narrative of all stated or unstated rhetoric every day.