Middle East crisis.

[chuckwoww]

Bkkbound04 said:

 

Indeed your concern is no doubt one of the major factors for America not doing its own dirty deeds, but it won't stop Israel or pentagon strategists doing the figures and pressing the right buttons. A few hundred/thousand grunts taken out would not be holding back a plan to place Iran in a pliable position.

 

 

JP

 

Wars take a while to build up. Before the military guys get to press the buttons you need a lot of PR groundwork. The public has to believe the bad guys started it.

 

I'm guessing Israel or the pentagon strategists would sacrifice a US carrier or two to get this one going.

[Steve]

Wow, talk about hot button topics. Common sense says 'CS stay out of this thread', however, good old fashioned yankee arrogance and my own ego said 'wade in CS, go for it'

 

First of all Jews don't run America. However, there is a strong jewish lobby, just like other lobbies like oil, etc. No matter who is in the white house there are at least 2 sacrosanct parts of our foreign policy that won't change. First, our stance on Cuba and second our support for Israel. Why? Its political suicide if you go against it. So we'll be involved at the very least financially. I'm not 100% sure but I think its around 5 bil total in aid and support.

 

My personal (and selfish) opinion is that America tries to remove itself from being the arbiter of future disputes. Both sides are angry with us. Trust me, Israel complains about us a lot as well, and the arabs obviously. I'd like to have the UN or EU or some 'body' do it. Every U.S. president since Nixon dream of going down in U.S. history as the president that brings a final peace to the middle east. It damn near gets you on mount Rushmore next sandwiched between Lincoln and Washington if you can do it. That's half the reason every President gets involved and the other half is he has to politically for aforementioned political reasons.

 

As for mideast oil, I suggested a while back that the G8 should get together and decide on some kind of alternative fuel method. Whether that is fuel cell, hybrids or whatever. And come up with short term and long term plans to wean ourselves off the oil. That won't happen in the U.S. as the oil lobby is too strong. But I can dream. I would use a carrot rather than stick method. Have the President and the governors buy in. Announce that in so many years all federal vehicles will be hybrid. The car makers now have a ready market. States and local governments say the same thing. In my city the busses run on natural gas. You get the consumer to get involved by allowing them to amortize the cost of a hybrid car and write off the purchase on their taxess. Allow a corporate write off for company cars and fleets. Have refueling kiosks at federal, state and local buildings and allow businesses a tax moratorium on any profits from those kiosks if they house a refueling station. (I don't expect the oil owned gas stations to come on board right away). Give everyone an economic incentive and they'll follow.

 

The transition to that kind of economy will cause problems but its necessary in my humble opinion. Whole industries will change but it will create a whole new set of jobs. The rail industry was huge in America and a large percentage of the nation's jobs were tied to it directly or indirectly. Everyone traveled by train. Sports teams as well. As we transitioned to cars and planes it created new jobs in ew industries, just like the internet is doing nowadays.

 

Once we wean ourselves off the oil, there won't be such a need for the U.S. and the west to have a presence in the Middle East. The middle east has always had infighting and the only time they come together is they have a common enemy. Take away that common enemy and they go back to infighting. They still do a lot of infighting now. The shia muslims hate the fact that the House of Saud controls the holy cities of Medina and Mecca. Eventually, they'll bring the fight to them. There have been an occasion bomb or two in Saudi Arabia over the displeasure of the Sauds.

[OCgringo]

Jews do run America, Ok not totally but they do have far more power than their numbers , (same as the Cubans in Miami)

 

We should have dropped Isreal years ago , they bring the USA down with them,

 

If I was an Arab I would consider Isreal as part of the USA , we support it with money , weapons that they do not end up paying for , and support in the UN,

has the USA ever voted against Isreal ?

 

Yes the Arab bad guys are assholes ,

But Isreal is shooting missles killling women , children etc when going after the "bad guys"

 

Its too late to change this , no one in the USA Congress has the balls to tell Isreal off ,

 

end of rant......long day in the sun....

 

OC

[BadaBing]

OK Stevie , now i'm going to pinch you and wake you up from your " oil-less " dream.

 

Airplanes fly on jet fuel ( oil )

 

Trucks run on diesel ( oil )

 

Trains run on diesel ( oil )

 

Steamships , container vessels run on whatever but it's oil.

 

Planes , trains , trucks and boats carry / move our imports and exports , our domestic products , our commerce , our economy isnt based on them , but they are the support of our commerce , our economy.

 

As far as the Jews go , I will agree with you there , love'm or hate'm , they will always be our pitbull , be careful how you treat them , cause they will always bite ya if you give them the chance.

 

Bada Bing

[McBif]

CS, I notice you don't mention the only viable source of energy both long and short term: nuclear energy. This is coming back big time and the sooner the better. You'll see.

 

As for cars... I don't see oil being dropped for awhile. I suppose Western governments could legislate the end of oil, but their countries would soon collapse economically... right after they are thrown out of power. A democratic country's electorate is the mother of all lobby groups.

 

But I agree it would be tasty to be able to tell some of these disgusting Third World dictatorships where to go.

 

While we're proposing solutions to these problems, here's mine: just go in and TAKE the goddam oil. Or, as economic illiterates like to say, pay a "fair" price for it. The largest transfer of wealth in history is going on now - Oil for Jihad - and it's gotten completely out of hand.

 

Sovereignty? A 20th century Western internationalist myth. There are probably only three or four "sovereign" states in the world today. That is, states than can defend themselves against all comers or at least make the game not worth the candle. The rest is high-minded fantasy and is used against us.

[OCgringo]

only problem with nuclear is what to do with the waste ,

 

its active for 10,000 plus years and we are encasing it in concrete (if that) and saying thats good enough

 

Is anyone making a list where this shit is stored , so in 5000 years someone does not break thru this concrete tomb and contaiminate the world ?

 

I doubt it

 

Ohhh but its so safe.........NOT

 

OC

[Flashermac]

No agreement ...

 

Protests

[Guest lazyphil]

france get 80% of their electric from nuclear power, they seem to have sorted it out, nuclear is the way to go imho, govs should outlaw high mpg cars and we should all take personal/individual responsabilty to save energy and water and not just expect the governments to deal with it, non esential air travel globally would help address/curb carbon emmissions/arab oil dependecy, very bitter pills to swallow but very needed.

[OCgringo]

making the power is the easy part,

 

storing the waste for 10,000 years safely is close to impossible ,

 

The French like everyone else just put their head in the sand about the waste problem

 

OC

[zob65]

I agree with Texascity, The Germans caused the problem, there for the Jews should have had a separate state in Germany, The Brittish tried to fix it and fucked it up, and USA continue add fuel to the problem. So why dont these 3 major players move in and bang some heads together?