When I hear idiots like Sen. John Cornyn(R-Texas) say nuking Iran is on the table, the Tiger at the bomb-bay scenario would be more accurate.
Posted by TIKI AL at September 3, 2006 06:23 PMWallerstein is a clear thinker, and the dismal course he lays out makes good, logical sense. I can't argue with him, but I sure hope he's wrong, particularly this part:
"What will the Cheney camp do then? ...They will know that they have probably only two years left to create situations from which it would be almost impossible for the United States to retreat. And since they would not, with a Democratic congress, be able to get any important legislation passed, they will concentrate (even more than now) on trying to use the executive powers of the presidency, under the docile front man, George W. Bush, to stir up military havoc around the world and to reduce radically the sphere of civil liberties within the United States."
Expect anything and everything.
Posted by Judith at September 3, 2006 07:35 PMsc, Wllrstn s th clssc xmpl f gy tht tlks bg bt cn't thnk. Chny nd vn Rc cn t thnk ths fl. Why? Bcs Wllr fls t mk th cnnctn f tdy's pltcl sttn f nt nly th sclgy f l, bt th sclgy f th dstrctn f mrcn nstttns fr th pst 100 yrs. lkn ths gy t ll th SSR Blshvks tht cntnlly fld wth ch fv yr pln, nly bcs thy smply md-p stff s thy g.
Why d ths ncn crps l? Bcs thy knw tht f thy tld th rhd vtrs th trth bt th pltcl sttn f pk l, th crps wll mk lss mny d t ppl frcd t pln fr th ftr.
Wllr dsn't vn gt th bv pnt, mch lss why w r btng th crp t f rq nd fghn. Th pnt s tht t dsn't mttr wht th wrld thnks f th crp lrds, bcs th wrld s n fr dpr trbl. Wtht l w n't gt n chp fd; nd w r gng t hv wht 7 blln, sn?
Ths s srs stff; whn rn flls, Syr wll b nxt t hlp t srl. Thn Chvz bttr t th ln lng wth th rst f th Mnr Dctrn chldrn. N. Kr wll prbbly b nkd, by Chn nd th S.
Bcs w r tlkng bt smthng fr dpr thn bnch f 'ncns.' W r tlkng bt bnch f gfy gngstrs tht nsst pn mntnng scl blndnss fr scl cntrl nd prft, f thy r dffrnt, whch dbt.
[Editor: ignore=off]When Bush was first elected I was disappointed but I've been disappointed and apprehensive many times in my 60 years. I couple of years latter I realized I was dealing with individuals that I not only disagreed with but who were simple out and out evil and my apprehesion increased. About two years ago I became really frightened when I realized they were not only evil but flat ass crazy - insane - mad. And the craziest MF'er of all is Dick Cheney. He reminds me of one of the mad villains Ian Fleming dreamed up for James Bond to do battle with. Where is James Bond when we need him?
Posted by Ron In Portland at September 3, 2006 08:19 PMhy, sc, wnt t mphsz th l/fd cnnctn n my bv cmmnt. Ths s crtcl: l mks th fl nd th frtlzr sd t grw ll fndtn crps. Wtht l, w hv n fd. Wld smn rsrch ths?
Mry, y'r lwys hmmrng n th nd-f-th-c-g thng: bt th l/fd thng cld s sm srs hmmrng.
[Editor: ignore=off]scout, you probably know about it but I always tell people interested in Peak Oil to check out:
They're a sober and informed group over there with a range of opinion and some excellent discussion threads.
I have no particular opinion on Peak Oil; if we define it as conventional crude oil (not shale oil or oil sands or other more expensive variations), it could hit in 18 months or 18 years or further out but it will come in the lifetime of most people reading The Left Coaster. At the moment, however, there's no question that worldwide oil production can't keep up with worldwide demand.
If we attack Iran, there is a real potential of an artificially created slump in oil production that will do serious damage to the world's economy before anyone has had time to make adjustments. With the exception of a few of Bush's cronies, there isn't a person in the world who can afford more of their recklessness.
Posted by Craig at September 4, 2006 12:02 AMA United States declining economically and diplomatically will be the most dangerous power the world will have ever seen. Run by a madman like Deadeye Dick, the danger is incalcuable, especially to muslims who happen to live in countries sitting on top of the world's last remaining cheap oil reserves.
Americans believe their enormous wealth and prosperity is permanent and God-given and that they have a "right" to be the wealthiest, most wasteful consumption-driven society ever imagined. They will not cotton to "losing" their right to use 25% of the world's energy. They aren't going to accept that their national decline was the result of their selfish shortsightedness and the selection of corrupt, incompetent leaders.
And progressives who advocated that the country has to change its ways will have "stabbed the country in the back".
We won't be a Soviet Union, whose people were resigned to their fated decline. As a violent, militarist people, and as the last remaining superpower, expect a lot of cruise missiles up the asses of scores of countries newly found to be "freedom-hating" (i.e not willing to do whatever an American adminstration wants or demands), with the approval of a large percentage of the population.
What do you think this gargantuan military is for, anyway? "Defense"?
Posted by euzoius at September 4, 2006 06:32 AMThey will cheat at the elections in any way possible in order to prevent Dem victories. The last two elections have been problematic anyway. Most of the American population is not prepared to accept an image of their government as anything other than basically virtuous and freedom-loving. It's going to take a lot more abuse than they've suffered up to this point for the truth to penetrate.
Posted by Delia at September 4, 2006 03:37 PMz, 'm bgnnng t thnk tht r mltry s fr srl.
Thnks fr th st, crg.
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