Some context on why the smiling American faces have been replaced by the

[KlatooBNikto]

snarling faces of the dogs.


To maintain our prosperity,it was essential for us to have access not merely to a vast quantity of oil but that oil had to be available at cheap enough prices. We were willing to support any dictatorship or tyrants so long as those twin goals were achieved.We could afford to smile because we were able to do that without firing a shot in most cases. The world was directed to our sideshow of the Communist Threat and was made to believe in our commitment to Freedom and Democracy.Men like George Kennan, John J.McCloy and Walter Lippman laid the foundations of our massive disiformation machine which exists to this day.Men like Averel Harriman and Prescott Bush ensured that a continuous stream of capital flowed toward those regimes favored by us,like the Shah of Iran,Somoza,Pinochet,Marcos, Zia and other smaller and larger tyrants.

With the rise in oil prices due to scarcity,it is no longer possible to ensure prosperity on an unlimited scale to our own masses.That goal had to be abandoned and replaced by a nebulous Globalization in which the bottom rung of our population will be reduced to Third World Status because we will be competing with people in the Third World.

The other part of the equation is that the rise of True Democrats like Chavez poses an immediate and long term threat to the corporate dominance of the World Economy.On the near term, Chavez not merely demands a fair price for his oil, he wants a higher royalty from the oil companies to benefit his people.So now the oil giants have to deal with anew kind of Latin Democrat,one who takes the job of serving his people seriously.In the long term, men like Chavez pose a global threat to American hegemony which is based on holding a vise grip on oil supplies and denying access to oil to countries like India and China that may pose a threat.And, of course, ther eis always the power of example that Chavez represents very likely spawninga hundred Chavezes round the world.

The smiling face had to be replaced because the old smiles no longer work.The world is awake and aware.

[ljm2002]

1. We need energy independence

What you say makes a lot of sense. It's starting to crystallize in my mind too, and the whole Venezuela / Chavez thing has been a sore spot ever since the faux coup during which we had gunboats in the harbor -- anyway, yes it's all about oil.

That being the case, what really should be happening is a massive shift of our energy consumption habits away from oil and into newer, renewable sources. Sun, wind, and geothermal ethanol, cooking oils -- whatever the answer is, I think we could be self sustaining if we put our minds to it. In so doing, we would be cutting ourselves free from the stranglehold of corruption, lies and endless war that are the imperatives of the oil industry and its handmaidens in the military industrial complex.

The Bush and Blair regimes are criminal for fomenting war where there was no legitimate cause to do so. They wanted Saddam out -- regime change. According to the leaked minutes, those are the words they used when discussing in private. But regime change is explicitly *not* a legitimate cause for going to war according to international law, and this was acknowledged in these meetings. So in terms of their legal position I think these minutes are quite damaging.

My problem is I can't see the American public suddenly waking up after all this time. It's not like this was not obvious at the time. Just like the drumbeat against Iran has begun. This Republican congress critter was nattering away on MTP this morning about how Iran is the source of funding and training for the current round of insurgents in Iraq -- "it's not the people of Iran, it's their leader" -- oh yes, the next round is about to begin.

And what's that I hear about the Army not meeting its recruiting goals last month? Brrrr...

[KlatooBNikto]

2. The American public supports the programs of this administration because

it too is complicit in the oil hegemony doctrine.It is the rest of the world that clearly sees our game and is no longer distracted by our side shows. They see that America is the new predator.