Wednesday, August 13, 2008

This nation is tired of war.

It will not mobilize behind John McCain to go into another one, in another country it has never heard of, for reasons it cannot understand. If that is the Neocon strategy they are hopelessly bankrupt. That's why Bush/Cheney are pushing ahead on the road toward military confrontation now. We can expect maybe a MACG: MilitaryAssistance Command Georgia, just like Vietnam. It may even rate a four-star. But that will break this nation's back even before it gets entrenched. Vietnam was the U.S. v. a Russian surrogate. This is head to head, beer v. vodka. There's no cushion.

Georgia benefits Obama more than McCain because he'll have the political sense to say just that. "We've done the military thing for eight years and we're tired. We have resorted to brute force instead of common sense. We tired of that. We risk a global nuclear confrontation without attempting a serious dialogue and adopting aposture that says to the world 'It's not us vs. you. It's us with you.'"

In that way America's eventual capitulation can be camouflaged.

But with US military en route, the chances of a trigger being pulled,U.S. v. Russia, increases exponentially. (Suggest a movie called "TheBedford Incident" with Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier). The progressives are a day late, a dollar short and way off the mark as usual. The press is saying McCain is more hawkish on Russia than Bush. That's got to be scaring the crap out of folks in Iowa. Even they are educated enough to know that Russia is not Saddam Hussein.

MCR

23 comments:

Peter J. Nickitas said...

Don't worry about an accidental war. Nothing will happen unless Cheney tells the Fleet (or SAC) to fire one.*







*See "The Bedford Incident."

Anonymous said...

The Neocons are counting on the religious right and their current obession with the rapture elements of the bible to give them the push towards Russia.

Unknown said...

I'm not saying to go to war, but this is a lot different than Iraq, which most people disagreed with. Russia has reverted to empire building and everyone knows that. The sad thing is that Bush/Cheney squandered their juice on Iraq instead using all that cash to boost places like Georgia up. Could you imagine if they put all that money into the caucuses and eastern Europe, well Russia would be contained and the US wouldn't have to get their oil from despots, but of course we all know the govt.'s connection to the oil fiefdoms. That being said war is a fait accompli now. Bush has no choice, without oil there is no America.

A peon said...

Without oil there is no America?Well,maybe as it opperates now.But there could at least be a chance for a new America without oil if the suggestions offered here http://www.permatopia.com/levels.html,here http://www.solari.com/,by Richard Heinberg,and several other Peak Oil activists were implimented in time.

Unknown said...

give me a break

businessman said...

Normally I wouldn't have posted on this Blog what I'm about to mention that I actually heard from someone last week. But with these events in Georgia developing right now, I thought I might as well mention what someone had said to me.

"I have a friend in the Pentagon" he told me last week..."and he tells me they're planning a new war that will begin in November...but he won't tell me any details."

I dismissed this as just a rumor at the time, but with what's been developing since then I have to imagine this could be possible. And with the FTW discussion about something like this benefiting McCain, I would imagine an escalation leading to a war in November, with McCain potentially emerging as the stronger military candidate just before both election day and the beginning of the war, could play nicely into the hands of his supporters.

karlof1 said...

So what, it's okay for the US Empire to expand and dominate the world and not okay for Russia? rosalie and david--Slim Pickens riding the bomb toward the ground.

Best estimate I've seen for the end of Russia's net exports of oil is 2021-24; it's natgas will follow soon after. So in 20 years or so, Russia will no longer export hydrocarbons--maybe even sooner. The same might be said about Saudi, Iraqi and Iranian exports, but lets go with 30 more years of exports. During those 20-30 years, supplies will be falling and prices rising, which will force importers to do something. If humans were civilized and wise, they would arrive at an arrangement like the Oil Depletion Potocol, while working collectively to transition to a differnet energy-based political-economy--a task impossible to shirk. It seems clear that the noeliberalcons are trying real hard to be shirkers, however.

What the United States needs real bad are some fire-eating state governors willing to tell DC it's out-of-control and to awaken to the future reality staring humanity in the face.

Rice Farmer said...

Georgia -- A Blow to US Energy

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,572053,00.html

"Victory in Georgia now gives Russia the edge in the struggle over access to the Caspian's 35 billion barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of gas."

catpoet said...

Mike predicted resource and oil wars years ago. The US goverment has been demonizing Russia since I was born (60+). It is not a surprise, since Russia is an oil and natural gas producing nation, that they would eventually overcome the collapse of the Soviet Union (well described by Dimitir Orlov) and take their place in the world. One you know your "real" history, you know that the US has been involved in military actions (wars, regime change, etc.) since the 60's, always under the guise of spreading democracy. We don't have a democracy since 9/11. It has been taken from us. We are now moving into a dangerous phase of peak oil. Rosalie and David, please read Crossing the Rubicon. It may change your perspective on how things really work in this country and what our leaders are really doing. Everything I have read lately points to a very difficult fall, particularly October, when we may see another October surprise to cinch the "election".

Chris Shaw, Australia said...

I think it's fair to say that any mechanised military force would be scrap iron without abundant fuel. Iraq seems to be the last really big "sweet spot" for juicy sweet oil.

It is claimed that the US DoD is the largest single-entity user of oil-derived energy in the world. If so, what a paradox this presents to the plotters in the Pentagon. Forget you and me buddy, this is all about making the world a safer place for the mechanised war machine.

By the rules of this centuries old game, the war-toys must come first. The clowns in funny brass hats can't imagine it otherwise. And let's face it, they have led the most peculiar sheltered existence in their five-sided asylum.

Eventually, it will simply be the rest of the world competing for the Pentagon's energy pool. Then what difference will it make what country you come from?

A peon said...

Care to elaborate Green2go?

Unknown said...

My "give me a break" comment was aimed at this statement by Rosalie and David
"Bush has no choice, without oil there is no America."

Unknown said...

Hey Mike,

how you been?

what do you think of lyndon LaRoache?

I think you and him speak on the same platform. He seems to be carrying the torch that was snatched from you. Where is the difference in thought between you & him?
( and anyone else can answer on those questions)

http://www.infowars.com/?p=3972

Take good care

Jenna Orkin said...

getonid, for a partial answer, see:

http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:p8ykUrJqSUoJ:www.fromthewilderness.com/free/economy/us_econ_threat.html+larouche+%22www.fromthewilderness.com%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&ie=UTF-8

Lawrence Peterson said...

The correct link for the Der Spiegel article on Georgia (an excellent one) is:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/
0,1518,572053,00.html

whistling grizzlybear said...

SO GREAT to see Mike writing.

Gail, I agree, our nation has been at war ... unfortunately, since quite a bit longer than the '60's.

You can go back to 1898 (Spanish American War, US killing a few 100K Philippine civilians, ref. Zinn People's History) to find a continuous stretch of war preparation, war-making, and war recovery.

The US has been a seriously bellicose nation for 110 years. Longer if we count other wars (with the American Indians).

I wondered if the US had some 'roots' in Georgia, some relationship with Saakashvili. I wondered if the US being in Georgia was like Russia sending military aides to Mexico or Canada. I got my answer - the US does have military & diplomatic ties to Georgia.

http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/08/14/american-girl-interviewed-on-fox-news-we-were-running-from-georgian-troops-thank-you-to-russian-troops/

an interview with a young girl who was visiting South Ossetia at the time of the fighting. "I was running from Georgian troops, I want to thank the Russian troops".

on Fox News ! the Fox 'reporter' interrupts her repeatedly, great news segment.

FlannelFactory said...

Beautifully put, chris shaw, australia,12:55am. :-(

Great to see Mike and Jenna posting and the blog sizzling!

Listen to breathing.

businessman said...

Thanks for both the article and video rice farmer, lawrence, and whistlinggrizzlybear. They were great!

Rice Farmer said...

Chris Shaw certainly knows what he is talking about. When I point out that modern military forces run on oil, there is inevitably a lot of forehead slapping among listeners. No one sees it until you tell them. "Look," I say. "You either have oil, or you go back to using horses. What country wants to go back to a premodern military while others are using tanks and jets?" So it is not just a matter of keeping modern economies running. All the big players on the global chessboard must keep their military machines fueled with oil, or they are out of the game. Oil wars? You ain't seen nothin' yet.

mrs p said...

"Don't worry about an accidental war. Nothing will happen unless Cheney tells the Fleet (or SAC) to fire one.*"

I think he already has.

Just when I was wondering if things could be anymore screwed up than they are...? Things can always get worse! Seems like we're on the path to hell. mrsp

Anonymous said...

Has anyone else noticed that the recent FBI claims that Bruce Ivins was the sole person responsible for the anthrax attacks, has led to a surge in people questioning the official explanation of 9/11?

Many people are seriously questioning the FBI's conclusion that Ivins alone was behind the attacks. I have been reading articles making the case that the anthrax attacks were government false-flag attacks, as well as articles and comments asserting the government was behind the 9/11 attacks as well (as Crossing the Rubicon readers already know). The encouraging thing is that the anthrax case has now broken the blackout on such reporting in several Internet news outlets.

It's an encouraging sign this late in the game.

Paul Davis said...

I was listening to our renegade MP George Galloway here in the UK last night and he revealed a little known fact that the Georgian defence minister was an Israeli citizen, speaks fluent Hebrew and still holds an Israeli passport.

The Israelis have apparently been supplying the Georgians with advanced weapons and training which the Russians are obviously unhappy about.

Andrea Muhrrteyn said...

Dr. Zhivago Yuriyatin Daffodil cryptomurhh AIE quiz:
Slow burn = Barack Obama or John McCain?
Nuclear, Murmansk Musketeers, Wakey, Wakey = John McCain or Barrack Obama?