tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19580203.post6221510887101492055..comments2024-03-25T16:03:36.810-07:00Comments on The Existentialist Cowboy: American plans to loot Iraqi oil and other Bush war crimesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04598093941551759917noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19580203.post-83935600865248614272008-06-02T04:35:00.000-07:002008-06-02T04:35:00.000-07:00At a shareholders's meeting of Allianz AG, major s...At a shareholders's meeting of Allianz AG, major shareholder Hans Martin Buhlmann expressed the view that there is only one limit to the increase of the dividend, he said: " The inferiors " must not be bled so much that they cannot longer consume. They must survive as consumers!<BR/><BR/>In; " On Capitalism, Europe and the World Bank, Noam Chomsky was interviewd by Dennis Ott and in reference to the above Ott asked Chomsky; Is this the guiding principle of our economic system? And if so, is there any substance to the notion of a " social market economy "?<BR/><BR/>Chomsky answers; Those are traditional questions in economics. It's part of Marx's reasoning about why there's going to be a continuing crisis of capitalism: that owners are going to try to squeeze the work-force as much as possible, but they can't go to far, otherwise there will be nobody to buy the things that an economy produces.<BR/><BR/>I recommend this interview.<BR/>It is to be found at;<BR/><BR/>http://www.chomsky.info/interviews.htm<BR/><BR/>One-other good read about the 'predator morals' in the Global Business Sphere is " The Shock Doctrine " and its Disaster Capitalism, by Naomi Klein.<BR/><BR/>Democracy, Religion, Sciënce, Arts & Crafts, it means nothing to those predators, they want money, they want power, and they'll do anything to get there, even if they have to distroy the Planet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19580203.post-2490808660027355142008-06-02T00:00:00.000-07:002008-06-02T00:00:00.000-07:00Professor Smartass said... I boiled this down to p...Professor Smartass said...<BR/><BR/><EM> I boiled this down to picture:</EM><BR/><BR/>And it's a good one, summing up US policy in Iraq. It's inspiration is the famous 'original' from the Viet Nam conflict --another series of US war crimes. <BR/><BR/>JoeC said...<BR/><BR/><EM>American West, which are the largest in the world.<BR/>Oil Shale reserves. Its not profitable to extract oil from these reserves now, because the oil in Iraq is still cheaper to extract.</EM><BR/><BR/>Oil is finished as a resource for many reasons. <BR/><BR/>As a network correspondent, I covered a lot of 'energy conferences' in Houston during the Arab Oil Embargo. One of the most interesting demonstrations I ever saw was a scaled-down model of 'Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion' or 'OTEC' (as opposed to OPEC). The working model scaled down was floated in the swimming pool at the Shamrock Hotel in Houston where it generated electricity. Warmer surface water is used to heat and convert liquid ammonia into vapor, which expands to drive a turbine. The turbine, in turn, drives a generator to produce electricity. The ammonia is then cooled using cold water from the ocean depths, returning it into a liquid state so the process can start all over again.. It was a 'micro' model. Larger models would float offshore where the energy could be microwaved ashore. OTEC is green and it's not hard to imagine entire communities built around combination of OTEC, Solar, and even land versions of OTEC in which sub-surface water is used in place of ocean water. <BR/><BR/>OTEC would be a reality today were it not for the 'robber baron' mentality of corporations. The corporations have it the wrong way 'round. If corporations can't find a way to make a profit from OTEC, then the problem is NOT OTEC but the corporations!!! It's time to SHUCK OFF the corporate yoke forever. If OTEC and other green methods by which mankind can live in peace on this planet require the ABSOLUTE ABOLITION of corporations --so be it! Corporations have gotten us to the point of extinction. I would rather see the extinction of corporations. FUCK THOSE CORPORATE BASTARDS! <BR/><BR/>The Old Hippy said...<BR/><BR/><EM>Is there anyway short of rebellion to redistribute the wealth that has been stolen from the American Citizen.</EM><BR/><BR/>Probably not! But the theft of America's wealth was accomplished by corporate influence upon a civilian structure that left alone is relatively benign. The problem is not so much government itself but 'K Street', a major thoroughfare in Washington where is located the numerous think tanks, lobbyists and advocacy groups! 'People' cannot be heard through the din they throw up. Until 'K-street' and the 'legal personhood' of corporations is SMASHED, the actual offices of government will serve k-street --not you. That's why OTEC will never see the light of day. <BR/><BR/>Bottom line: it will take a revolution to create 'green energy'. The corporations will never pursue OTEC. The fact that they will not is the achilles heel to every corporate abuse that is justified by a disingenuous interpretation of Adam Smith by 'conservatives'. <BR/><BR/><EM>There must be some legal way to regain the fortunes stolen from us and given to them in the past seven years. </EM><BR/><BR/>REVOLUTION!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04598093941551759917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19580203.post-57402698833197392242008-06-01T21:29:00.000-07:002008-06-01T21:29:00.000-07:00Len,Great post but just a few thoughts. Is there ...Len,<BR/><BR/>Great post but just a few thoughts. Is there anyway short of rebellion to redistribute the wealth that has been stolen from the American Citizen. We decry the loss of liberty and freedom but don't even try to regain the monies the president funneled to his friends and supporters. Billions to Halliburton alone.<BR/><BR/>There must be some legal way to regain the fortunes stolen from us and given to them in the past seven years. If there is no legal way then we must allow our minds to find other ways to get our pounds of flesh. After all there are 310 Million of us and only what 10 Million of them.<BR/><BR/>What they've done lately is to show that our form of government is a sham – those we elect don't really represent the good people who elected them, rather they vote the way their benefactors dictate. All this has been going on since Reagan but only now do the moneyed control the ballot boxes themselves. <BR/><BR/>And I'll ask you one further question and be on my way. Just how and which entity in any jurisdiction could arrest the president for the War Crimes he has committed. Is there a special branch in the FBI or military or even the Texas Rangers who the Secret Service would allow to apprehend the leader of the criminal organization the US has become?<BR/><BR/>The Old HippyThe Old Hippyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16959371621660362963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19580203.post-53595947136499421992008-06-01T20:32:00.000-07:002008-06-01T20:32:00.000-07:00Thanks for the very comprehensive post.One thing t...Thanks for the very comprehensive post.<BR/><BR/>One thing that came to mind over and over while reading about our looting of Iraq's oil, and about the parallels with Rome, and how it's necessary to loot and plunder the resources of other states once an empire's home turf is out of resources...and what resources do we have left, really? Certainly not human labor...despite the rantings of the racists, humans are not born smarter here than any other place, and human labor can be had cheaper elsewhere.<BR/><BR/>The one resource that came to mind, was what I'd heard of recently: the oil shale reserves in the American West, which are the largest in the world.<BR/><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shale_reserves" REL="nofollow"> Oil Shale reserves</A>. Its not profitable to extract oil from these reserves now, because the oil in Iraq is still cheaper to extract.<BR/><BR/>However, it made me wonder...the faster we get everybody to use up the easy-to-get liquid oil, the sooner America, with its huge tract of oil shale reserves (all conveniently located on government-owned lands to boot...), will have the world's most precious resource again. Is that the ultimate plan? To get the American population and China to blow through the rest of the cheap oil as quickly as possible so that oil shale reserves will be king, and the U.S. will be the new Saudi Arabia?<BR/><BR/>I dunno...just a thought. (Sorry for the long comment.)JoeChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04666354789291684470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19580203.post-41197917342592579352008-06-01T18:54:00.000-07:002008-06-01T18:54:00.000-07:00I boiled this down to picture:Bush teaching Iraq d...I boiled this down to picture:<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/2542879801_2f8f621111.jpg" REL="nofollow">Bush teaching Iraq democracy</A>Professor Smartasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10423875319936428893noreply@blogger.com