tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post114946343321208495..comments2024-03-26T05:18:53.709-04:00Comments on Pen and Sword: Worst Secretary of State EverJeff Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149769298477562842006-06-08T08:21:00.000-04:002006-06-08T08:21:00.000-04:00The Ann Coulter of Secretaries of State? ;-)The Ann Coulter of Secretaries of State? ;-)Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149729830290966492006-06-07T21:23:00.000-04:002006-06-07T21:23:00.000-04:00She is horrid.She is horrid.Abadiebitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13131824336879869920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149627638508526922006-06-06T17:00:00.000-04:002006-06-06T17:00:00.000-04:00HOOOF! Nicely put.HOOOF! <BR/><BR/>Nicely put.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149627320807308342006-06-06T16:55:00.000-04:002006-06-06T16:55:00.000-04:00Biggus Dickus has passed Spiro, who was just a pet...Biggus Dickus has passed Spiro, who was just a petty crook that got caught. Certainly the money that Dick has made from his Halliburton profits is more than the $100K or so Spiro got in bribes. <BR/><BR/>Burr still has the edge, but just barely. His target died.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149610263797779522006-06-06T12:11:00.000-04:002006-06-06T12:11:00.000-04:00Navywife, Thanks for all the wonderful conversatio...Navywife, <BR/><BR/>Thanks for all the wonderful conversation points. <BR/><BR/>An "iron fist" in Basra. My, my. <BR/><BR/>I'll be doing another piece on Iran later in the week. It seems to me we're once again blowing a chance to make lemonade out of lemons.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149609911037595882006-06-06T12:05:00.000-04:002006-06-06T12:05:00.000-04:00From what I have read, the draft bill is apparentl...From what I have read, the draft bill is apparently buried in subcommittee, where it has been since it was reintroduced in Feb.<BR/><BR/>http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04752:<BR/><BR/>The reason he gave for introducing the bill was to force those who support the war, but give nothing to it or risk nothing by continuing it, to actually give a damn what happens to the people who go fight it. The rationale is that if the sons and daughters of the rich and powerful were just as likely to die for the cause, then the war would likely end sooner rather than later. Because those in power realize this, the bill is unlikely to ever make it out of subcommittee except as a political stunt, as in 2003.<BR/><BR/>As for the religious aspect of things, the war certainly wasn't started as a religious crusade, but some on both sides of the conflict are using religious terms to argue about it. Even the president has made some vaguely religious statements about a clash of civilizations or whatnot. Whatever he thinks of it privately, this sentiment plays well with his xenophobic base and keeps them charged up with hate and fear. The same tactic has certainly been used on the other side of the conflict as well. To those of us who care nothing for religion, this strategy is a despicable distraction from the real issue at hand, which appears to be the oil. And not so much having possession of it, as controlling the flow of it. <BR/><BR/>If the president wants to allow American companies to invest and profit off of the oil sector of some of these countries, he has two choices. One, he could persuade congress to lift the sanctions preventing US corporate investment, such as the "Iran and Libya sanctions act of 1996". But in his mind, this would be seen as weak and supporting a repressive regime. His other option is to change the regime so that the sanctions are no longer necessary because the regime is no longer repressive. This has been done more than once by America in the past. See Iran, 1953, and Guatemala, 1950's for other examples of American covert military involvement in a coup for corporate interests. One could wait for the leader to die, but that is inefficient. The more expedient method is by making war on the country, as in Iraq. Iraq had standing contracts under Oil for Food with some European countries and Russia and China. When the US invaded, Bush declared those contracts void, and decreed that contracts for rebuilding, and likely for oil investment, would be hinged on how much involvement the country had with the war effort. This way, he could allow US companies access to the market and direct the flow of oil to the countries that were his "true" allies without appearing weak and supportive of a tyrant. The oil companies wrote their own long term contracts on terms that were economically suicidal for the Iraqis, but what choice did they have? The CPA was running things then, and they declared that was how it was going to be. The same logic applies to Iran's oil fields. <BR/><BR/>The curious thing is this: the new PM of Iraq is now saying that he will have to deal with resistance in Basra with an "iron fist" to put down the infighting between competing Shia militias. I'd like to see how that will turn out. Did we trade a self-imposed brutal dictator for a popularly elected brutal PM? Kind of flies in the face of the last remaining publicly given reason for invading the country, don't you think? Curious.<BR/><BR/>For an interesting third option for dealing with Iran's oil without lifting the sanctions, see this speech given in the late 90's by an exec from a US oil company. Certainly gives one food for thought.<BR/><BR/>http://www.worlddialogue.org/pdf/speech8.pdfAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149598762114846872006-06-06T08:59:00.000-04:002006-06-06T08:59:00.000-04:00William you are so right. And it isn't about just...William you are so right. And it isn't about just oil, it is about sweet crude, or conventional oil.<BR/><BR/>Conventional oil will offer you almost 15% more return than other types of oil, such as sulfer (sour) or tar sand oil. It is harder to eliminate the dirt and contaminants in "other" oil and the US does not have but a few refineries that can do this. It is also a lot harder to extract the non-conventional oil. So there you have it, we want the good stuff.<BR/><BR/>And also, the world's dependence on oil has made the currencies an oil standard, not gold especially.<BR/><BR/>BTW, I heard that the draft bill is back on the table again. Funny we haven't heard about that one. Guess not, when we are worried about homosexuals getting married.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149596041285017742006-06-06T08:14:00.000-04:002006-06-06T08:14:00.000-04:00Unfortunately, this war is not really about Christ...Unfortunately, this war is not really about Christianity and Islam. It's about greed, power, and oil.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149520164178907342006-06-05T11:09:00.000-04:002006-06-05T11:09:00.000-04:00That about sums it up for me, Sadiq. I'm looking ...That about sums it up for me, Sadiq. <BR/><BR/>I'm looking for an up to date list or chart on ME oil exports and US oil imports. Something from 2003 said Iran only accounts for five percent of ME exports, but I'm not sure how accurate that is. <BR/><BR/>Meribeth, <BR/><BR/>The only difference I see right now between the Iraq run up and this is that now we're not even pretending to have intelligence to back up our WMD assertions.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149519212353096532006-06-05T10:53:00.000-04:002006-06-05T10:53:00.000-04:00Last week in the Financial Times there was a polit...Last week in the Financial Times there was a political cartoon of an Iranian carrying a drum with the nuclear hazmat symbol on it (presumably Ahmedinejad). Condoleeza was extending an olive branch to this Iranian, but she was doing so while leaning out of the barrel of a big, big gun, which was pointed right at said Iranian.sadiqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11461904452723439290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149514144736162262006-06-05T09:29:00.000-04:002006-06-05T09:29:00.000-04:00I see! We bomb and invade an oil producing countr...I see! We bomb and invade an oil producing country, IraN. They want to protect their country, understandibly, and fight back. And then this goes on for a while. <BR/><BR/>And she has the total lack of reality by saying "we should not put to much emphasis on a threat of this kind" when they warned that oil shipments in the Gulf would be disrupted??? <BR/><BR/>Ummm, didn't they say the same about IraQ? <BR/><BR/>I know Americans have short memories...but forget everything within 3 years?? Do they think we forgot? Have we forgotten?<BR/><BR/>Is there some odd substance in our/their water? This is an embarrassementAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149512183124991982006-06-05T08:56:00.000-04:002006-06-05T08:56:00.000-04:00Yes, she was. Listing to Oliphant on Imus right n...Yes, she was. <BR/><BR/>Listing to Oliphant on Imus right now, saying it looks like we're stuck in Iraq for at least two more years at these troop levels. <BR/><BR/>Security situation there is worse than ever.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-1149481783367063012006-06-05T00:29:00.000-04:002006-06-05T00:29:00.000-04:00Speaking of boots, wasn't Miss Condi shopping for ...Speaking of boots, wasn't Miss Condi shopping for fine Italian shoes when Katrina hit? Doubt she wore them on her forced march in Miss. BTW - Monday's oil prices will start at $73 up $1 on Iran jitters.<BR/>CheckSixAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com