The Politics of Joe's Deployment

Have your heard the talk of scaling down in Iraq in spring/summer 2006? Consider the continuing news, are you wondering why? Let me explain. It's very simply. 2006 is a congressional election year! Yes, they'll bring home a few thousand troops, push the success stories endlessly as insurgent attacks ease up a bit and then, following the Republican run on the Senate, we'll go right back to the same old dismal situation (expect a upscaled replay in 2008).

Don't be fooled. Simply follow the money and power. It's just like water, but in reverse. They always run up.

Need Energy? Burn Money!

The faux energy bill is finally set pass --the continuing signs of the U.S. downfall. Here's a summary of what it does.

1. Gives billions of dollars in tax breaks and useless grants to oil companies.


2. Erodes environmental laws, further reducing pollution safeguards.


3. Deregulates the utilities sector to allow large utility mergers.

It isn't enough that the oil companies are already bulging with record profits. We have to give them more.

So What should an energy big contain?

1. Provide grants for renewables research and subsidies for solar home upgrades.


2. Increase pollution safeguards, giving tax relief to corporations for early compliance.


3. Raise gasoline tax to encourage consumers to invest in fuel efficient vehicles.

This is a no-brainer and the fact that our government comes no where close to doing the right thing is a clear sign that corporations have hijacked the government and the people are powerless to effect change. It is an absolute shame. Americans should think very carefully about what ultimately brought down the Soviet Union, and then consider how those same principles are hard at work in the good old U.S. of A.

Vietnam 2.0 (beta)

Iraq is going to hell
and the war on terror is escalating.

By the looks of it we're on the verge of loosing this war. Of course we'll never admit it. Hell, we've never admitted to loosing Vietnam. We just "withdrew". Sounds about right here too. Invading Iraq was such a blunder. Our image is now mud. Our only hope is to win the war, but these administrative buffoons haven't a clue what their doing. Is it any more painfully obvious that they are unread men? History is replete with these scenarios.

But perhaps Bush & Co. doesn't really care. And why should they? His presidency will end in three more years and he and daddy, Cheney and their buddies can walk away filthy rich from warring and oil profits with a "don't blame the good guy" exit strategy.

The situation is on the verge. One more big boom in the U.S.A. and things will start to look really bleak. After further tightening down the hatches, such that Freedom becomes the baby thrown out with the bath water, another big attack will... well, then real despair sets in. Of course that is if you believe the ultimate culprits are indeed radical Islamists. I have my doubts.

But the worse part is the effect on the war on war itself. It's being shot to hell. How will ever find peace?

Peak Oil's Alternative Doom

Another excellent source of information on Peak Oil. I must admit that I waiver in my worries on this topic. You see I truly believe we have the technologies to replace oil, cleanly and cost effectively. In fact I also tend to believe that it is very likely that the technologies exist (at least in a rough state) to rival the energy potential of oil by orders of magnitude. So I think there is hope. Unfortunately, I further suspect that the powers-that-be are not interested in the availability of such "limitless" supplies. No, I think they actually want the Oil Wars to happen. Its profitable after all, and will rid the world of many "unwanteds". But perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps we don't have the solutions to our energy problems stashed away under oligarchic guard. Alas in that case, we are even worse off. In that case we'd better get the R&D cash flowing pronto. But how likely is that? Somehow it seems the only real solution --the one that gets us effectively out of the dilemma and lifts up the entire world to a better place, is the very course of action least likely to unfold. Why? Because Man is simply, by His very nature, greedy. Isn't that singular problem with the world now?

Full Tilt Right

And so now the tilt of power is on the threshold of full swing. With the confirmation of John Roberts to the Supreme Court all three branches of the government will be in the hands of the Republican party. Further solidification will come with the passing of Judge Rehnquist. The only measure fending the Republicans from complete takeover are five Senate seats and the filibuster. Should the Republican party succeed in taking these seats in 2006 and/or whittle away at the filibuster with their Nuclear Option, no recourse would be left to minorities.

Perhaps it not surprising that in this post-modern world when our Government, notably the right-wing, has "won" the Cold War and thus become the one world super-power, that She would now turn inward to further solidify one-party rule. History would teach us this to be the ultimate outcome of all power struggles. We may have hoped that our forefathers somehow stepped into a bold new History, leaving the old world behind for us to march confidently forward into an ever brightening future. But such seems not to be the truth. We are still balled-up in the tides on common treacheries.

What will soon come to pass: the endless erosion of our liberty.