American Politics

[CBGBConnisur]

Israeli Iran war will be the first big crisis Obama will deal with. Its coming, don't think it ain't. A major confrontation between Israel and Iran is on the cards.

[Bango Cheito]

In NYC farmers markets have limited hours. And Trader Joes and Whole Foods are STILL junk.

Here in Bogota I can walk 15 minutes and be in a REAL farmers market, open year round, 6 days a week, and has food that blows away the best farmers market in the US. And it costs about 8 cents on the dollar what it costs in the US too!!

Well food has to travel great distances, nobody's fault the people that kept buying up farmland to put suburbs up. Its happening in Central California now, they say by 2020 or slightly later all the rich Central California farmland will be covered in sub-divisions.

I hope it doesn't happen or that will be the next crisis in America, were do we grow the food!

Food is fine in America man, go to a Farmer's Market, Trader Joe's or Whole Foods Markets you'll be just fine....

I still eat "junk" gained a grand total of 20 lbs since high school some 20 years ago. I don't overeat and could lose this 20lbs whenever I feel like it, which might be soon, I lost 12lbs just walking around Europe....

[Cruiser D]

Actually Jelly we started a limited total war during the height of the insurgency (egads sounds like Vietnam doublespeak) after watching the Brits employ it with results in Basra. Take sniper fire from a highrise? Boom, no more highrise. 1.5 mil sounds a bit excessive. 100k, maybe.

Dr S, we'll be in Iraq until they boot us out or 20-40 years in one form or another take your pick.

The Middle East has always been the 800lb gorilla in the room no one wants to talk about. We could have either invaded Iraq or spent all the money and resources on going fossil fuel free - if we had done that in 2003 we'd probably be 70% free by now. Instead of an economy tittering on the edge we be in a powerful surge like the 40's, 50's and 60's. We could have continued our cold war in the Middle East and keep applying political and economic pressure while reducing the Middle East relative importance in the world. For the best interests of the USA the W administration chose the wrong path. Instead the W administration chose a path that was against the best interests of the country while benefiting foreign countries and big oil. The US military has done a great job and continues to be at the forefront of emerging military doctrine and tactics. W and the rest of the crew should be Perp walked out the White House, sadly that will never happen.

[Jelly Donut]

..
Yes there knuckle heads that support any kind of battle, it gives them a hard-on, killing Iraqis now around 1.5 Million, many of them CHILDREN is hardly creditable to supporting a War, they just like KILLING PEOPLE.

The reality is the Unted States could have gone into Iraq and fought a war in which hardly any Americans would die at all. Got a problem in Fallujah? Boom. No more Fallujah. The US did not go down that road in the interest of limiting civilian casualties.

The kind of war the folks at Democracy Now and The Lancet dream of when they produce numbers like 1.5 million is this kind of total war. The currency of these people is not truth. They have an agenda and they move ideas forward based on the agenda, not on reality. The bigger the number, the more self-satisfied they feel. That's just the way it is.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science has had a few interesting articles in Science trying to understand and questioning why the Lancet numbers were so far off every other study of civilian casualties. I think any reasonable person would at least ask the same kind of questions. I'd encourage you to be more critical of your sources.

[Doctor_Skank]

Yes I have, the last one; he was glad to be home, he was glad he got discharged with honor and didn't support it one bit. He joined before the War (long before, '99) and been in Kosovo as well.

Yes there knuckle heads that support any kind of battle, it gives them a hard-on, killing Iraqis now around 1.5 Million, many of them CHILDREN is hardly creditable to supporting a War, they just like KILLING PEOPLE.

Good thing he is out of the army because the army doesn't need people like him.

True that many soldiers don't fully understand or support the war in Iraq. Initially I didn't either. I certainly didn't buy into the entire premise of the war.

Nonetheless, most soldiers I have spoken to do believe in what they are doing and do believe that ultimately their hard work and sacrifice will benefit Iraq and the United States. US involvment in Iraq has evolved from the initial (and faulty) premise that we went there to protect ourselves from terrorists. It was regime change protocol from the very beginning. Nonetheless, Iraq 2002-2005 is not the Iraq of today. Priorities, mission, position have all changed significantly and the army is doing a very good job excercising a mission that it was never trained or intended to do. They are learning very quickly.

It will be a long time before the US has fully extracted itself out of Iraq, if that is the US intention at all. The investment into the country can't be measured in $ alone... neither can the cost.

Just like in a relationship, the longer you are in the harder it is to get out.

We are in for another 3 years at least. I suspect we"ll be there longer under other less-martial terms, which we should be. If we aren't, somebody else will be. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081115/..._mi_ea/ml_iraq

Who cares who's Army is better, I sure as hell don't

Let's hope you and the rest of the apathetic civilian world never have to find out or be dependent on an army which you don't care about.

Some, of course they are proud to serve but only crazy wanna-be butchers that play too much Halo and Call of Duty in their free time actually WANT to be there.

That's a ridiculous statement. Never believed in anything in your life? You've obviously never been a soldier so don't start thinking you know what it is like because you watched something on youtube or talked to some disgruntled buddies.

[Cruiser D]

I didn't say soldiers particularly support the war, they just go about their business with amazing professionalism and dedication. Just about none want be in Iraq.

Obama didn't will by a popular vote landslide, just in the Electoral College. Which by the way needs to be done away with. It just serves no purpose, other then allowing W to become president in 2000 and starting the travesty of the last 8 years. The Electoral College has as much relevance now as having to be a white male landowner to vote.

[DJ FourMoney]

Yeah, one wonders were you used to buy your food Bango, did someone put a gun to your head and force you to always buy over processed crap?

Umm, like I said DJ, have you actually talked to a US soldier? I don't get my news or views on what soldiers are thinking from youtube. I spend some time on US military bases and I interact with the soldiers.

And the US right now has the capability to feed the world, the government still pays farmers not to farm. I don't think food is going to be our next crisis, that is as long as you can afford it.

Yes I have, the last one; he was glad to be home, he was glad he got discharged with honor and didn't support it one bit. He joined before the War (long before, '99) and been in Kosovo as well.

Yes there knuckle heads that support any kind of battle, it gives them a hard-on, killing Iraqis now around 1.5 Million, many of them CHILDREN is hardly creditable to supporting a War, they just like KILLING PEOPLE.

I don't get my news from You Tube. I watched Winter Solider since no other media outlet would support it, after all when your GE (NBC), you can't have any dissension in the ranks. For CBS and ABC, its just flat disappeared from the news, its covered less than 2% by anybody but Democracy Now and other left leaning channels/web sites which reports on it every f***king day.

Its because everybody largely ignored the mainstream media is proof how Obama won by a landslide and that maybe you should get your news from You Tube.

Also Nate Silver who's a Sports Stat man had closer predictions than any other "classical" poll out there, further proving that mainstream media is out of touch. The best thing was turning Palin into a Cartoon by Tina Fey which was the most powerful thing that happen and was heaven sent.

Who cares who's Army is better, I sure as hell don't

[Cruiser D]

Yeah, one wonders were you used to buy your food Bango, did someone put a gun to your head and force you to always buy over processed crap?

Umm, like I said DJ, have you actually talked to a US soldier? I don't get my news or views on what soldiers are thinking from youtube. I spend some time on US military bases and I interact with the soldiers.

And the US right now has the capability to feed the world, the government still pays farmers not to farm. I don't think food is going to be our next crisis, that is as long as you can afford it.

[DJ FourMoney]

Have you actually talked to anyone who serves in the US active military? Their professionalism and high morale always amazes me. Most of them realized when they signed up it wouldn't always be a Stateside or Western Europe posting. One doesn't sign up to be a trash truck driver and then gets amazed he has to drive trash around. It's the Reserves and the NG that got the real raw deal.

Bin Laden and his organization are a world problem - the bombings in W Europe and SE Asia. Afghanistan is a more true coalition operation and I don’t think support for it will be wavering anytime soon. Iraq was W's own personal deal, him fronting for the Saudi’s and big Oil. The only way we got anyone to support us in Iraq is by W squandering our good will capital in W Europe and bribing E Europe.

If the British had sent planes to bomb Ireland the US and the UN would have been there within a few days, probably not a good idea. I don't think there were any planes involved in the Easter Rebellion but there was plenty of artillery and a naval gunboat.

Some, of course they are proud to serve but only crazy wanna-be butchers that play too much Halo and Call of Duty in their free time actually WANT to be there.

In fact all the people that love playing FPS' so much should find there way to the local recruiting office, put your "skills" to use, most of them are slackers.

That has nothing to do with supporting an illegal war, which many of them don't and the way they CHEERED loudly when it was final that Obama was President-Elect...

They are thinking about COMING HOME finally!

I hope this is the last time the MIC or Congress give the go-ahead for any war. We have NOT needed to fight any war since WW2 and should have left it at that.

Cheney learning from 'Nam didn't want any public involvement in wars and wanted to ban pictures of coffins coming back on planes because they wanted to insulate the public from the war. If they saw the death and most of the destruction, they would march in the street. Eventually did they march in the streets but the mainstream media didn't cover it.

Now the Occupation is issue number #4 after the Economy, National Health Care and other issues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lTUB5_l0Mg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7abu9a0xtNI

LIES, all of them

Makes jokes about WMD's now in front of Republican Fund Raisers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VD1g...eature=related

Don't give me that crap about US Soliders are prideful and want to fight this war.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_cjk...eature=related

D I like you man but c'mon...

[DJ FourMoney]

I find it very surreal that somebody could refer to the US food supply in ANY sort of a positive light. One of the reasons I moved OUT of the US was the shit fucking food.

Well food has to travel great distances, nobody's fault the people that kept buying up farmland to put suburbs up. Its happening in Central California now, they say by 2020 or slightly later all the rich Central California farmland will be covered in sub-divisions.

I hope it doesn't happen or that will be the next crisis in America, were do we grow the food!

Food is fine in America man, go to a Farmer's Market, Trader Joe's or Whole Foods Markets you'll be just fine....

I still eat "junk" gained a grand total of 20 lbs since high school some 20 years ago. I don't overeat and could lose this 20lbs whenever I feel like it, which might be soon, I lost 12lbs just walking around Europe....

[Bango Cheito]

I find it very surreal that somebody could refer to the US food supply in ANY sort of a positive light. One of the reasons I moved OUT of the US was the shit fucking food.

[Jelly Donut]

I don't mind waiting a few months to gloat.

You might be right, but I think the odds are long on 30 dollar oil. It's best in these cases to take a short position on oil, that way you can bank money on your insight. Gloating is great, but money - well, it speaks for itself. Good luck.

The US military bases in Iraq have Starbucks, Pizza Huts, Subways, Burger Kings and Baskin Robins.

Indeed. It's amazing Alexander the Great got anywhere in his endeavors across Iraq and Afganistan without access to any significant sources of caffine, fat or sugar.

[Cruiser D]

The British do indeed field a well trained, highly disciplined soldier with a lot of tradition behind him. Call me a nationalist but I'll stay with the common US soldier. No other country has the night fighting capabilities of the US soldier or the overwhelming support of highly sophisticated combined arms. Then of course there is the logistics and the digital command and control structure.

We've all be through the Soviet PR machine during the Cold War and those of us who have been over there can only scratch our heads and say what were they talking about. How much of those military plans are propaganda, I'm guessing about 90%. Moon base? I'm sure NASA has several back up plans for when the shuttle fleet is retired and it's up to the Russians to supply the ISS and they fail or can't do it to US standards. Look for oil to keep going down down down as the US runs down the path of being fossil fuel free.

It's easy for the Russian government to be pragmatic, they are insulated from the public. None of those guys are thinking wow, 'we' are screwed. They are thinking hmm, too bad the average Russian citizen is screwed. At least in the US when a government official screws up he finds himself voted (or fired) out of office and a social pariah.

[Doctor_Skank]

I don't mind waiting a few months to gloat. USA, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and then China and India, look for the Chinese market to flatline next. Domino's. The US sets the market, the rest can only follow. China's projected growth rate has already been havled by what you stated. I think it's going to be zero or on the other side of zero. What we have going on is a global econmic game of musical chairs, and we still have a few more rounds to play.

A slowing US economy affects China first among the "new global players". They'll take a hit, their own economic boom slowing anyway after the construction boom slowed post-Olympics. Need some office space in Guangdong? They're giving it away right now. Undercapacity.

Russian economic minister Kudrin:

"Growth planned at $95 oil"
"Budget can be kept at $60 oil"

11/08 "We plan on $50 oil in 2009 and crisis to hit first 6 months of 2009"

I'll give the Russians one thing, they're government is clever, young and forward-thinking, not to mention pragmatic. They might just have to put back those plans for aircraft carriers, moon bases and fleets of PAK-FA fighters for now.

Still, both the Chinese and Russian budgets are in SURPLUS. Can the US say that? Main Russian problem is getting credit for their projects now. It's gotten expensive.

The United Kingdom has the military means to fight some specific overseas wars, say, recapturing the Islas Malvinas. Likewise, the French maintain a respectable amphibious force. I strongly suspect they are going to put up a fight after I sieze Tahiti.

Personally I am a big fan of the UK military, their soldiers are among the world's best. But they do lack logistical capabilities, air strength, airlifting capabilties etc.

Even the FALKLANDS would be a challenge for them now. The Falklands. Could they take on Pakistan or even Yemen? By all respect for the Royal Marines, the Parachute Regiment and all that... I doubt it.

[Cruiser D]

I don't mind waiting a few months to gloat. USA, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and then China and India, look for the Chinese market to flatline next. Domino's. The US sets the market, the rest can only follow. China's projected growth rate has already been havled by what you stated. I think it's going to be zero or on the other side of zero. What we have going on is a global economic game of musical chairs, and we still have a few more rounds to play.

The British came fairly close to being severally bloodied in the Falkland Islands. Could the British or French deploy and support a force the same size or larger then a division? Doubtful. The US military bases in Iraq have Starbucks, Pizza Huts, Subways, Burger Kings and Baskin Robins. I doubt the Tommies were living like that in Basra. The US stopped using local sourced foodstuff in Iraq about two years ago due to quality issues. Everything now is being flown in from the US. What other nation in the world has the resources to do something as insane as that? The Russian Army just started issuing socks as standard kit last year.

The growth rates of China and India, while they have slowed down, they are both moving along at a brisk pace. The Chinese economy is projected to grow at 8.5% next year; India at 6.3%. Together that's half the global population, right? China and India are the two 800-lbs gorillas in the room of oil consumption. This could keep oil prices from returning to the range they ran in during the last US recession.


The United Kingdom has the military means to fight some specific overseas wars, say, recapturing the Islas Malvinas. Likewise, the French maintain a respectable amphibious force. I strongly suspect they are going to put up a fight after I sieze Tahiti.

JD, being difficult.