'the first signs of increasingly bitter clashes for resources'. Keith,
I think the link above pretty much sums it up. Bill Ward On Thu, 26 Sep 2002 20:07:41 +0100 Keith Hudson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Karen, > > Please don't get carried away by the apparent democratic discussion > of > Blair's support for Bush. Blair thanked the Speaker of the House of > Commons > for allowing the House of Commons to be recalled for the debate. In > truth, > the Speaker does what the Prime Minister asks, and Blair only asked > because > he'd come under increasing pressure from MPs of his own party for > weeks. > Otherwise, his government might have broken in two even though he > has the > support of the Tories. > > The latest opinion poll in this country, incidentally, says that > about 70% > would support a Bush/Blair initiative in Iraq -- but only if there's > a new > specific UN resolution. I can't help feeling that both Bush and > Blair are > now getting themselves into deep water politiclly. The economies of > both > countries are dithering now, poised between the possibility of mild > growth > only but much more seriously of decline. Even the IMF, which has > always > been at least 1% more optimistic in its GDP growth forecasts than > actually > turns out, is becoming (realistically) pessimistic now. The > electorates of > both countries could turn on both leaders with a vengeance in 6 or > 9 > months' time. > > Anyway, I've read the articles you've mentioned with interest. > > M'mm . . . the more I'm reading and thinking about the > Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld > anti-Iraq policy, the more confused I'm becoming about what are > their true > motives. Are they genuinely anti-Saddam? Are they choosing to invade > Iraq > as an example of a general statement about the need for governmental > reform > in the Middle East? Are they after Iraqi oil as a bargaining counter > to > Saudi oil? (Iraq has the second largest resources in the world after > Saudi > Arabia.) Will the Americans turn on Iran next? What is the influence > of > Bush Snr's membership (and that of the bin Laden family) of the > Carlyle > Group and their interest in armaments and defence secrets (the Group > has > just bought part of our Ministry of Defence)? Are they acting as a > sort of > more effective United Nations in the interests of world security? > > Out of sheer fatigue, I'm dropping back to known facts about the > business > background of this group and what is alleged about their various > share > dealings, and asking quite simple questions about their character as > if I > were interviewing them for a job or if I were a shareholder in > companies > they ran. I can only surmise that far too much mud is sticking to > them and > that they are not people I could possibly trust. I'm reminded of the > slogan > that did the most damage to Nixon: "Would you buy a used car from > this man?" > > I can only think that there's a huge tragedy in the making -- either > to > Iraqi civilians, or to the fragile thing that still counts for > democracy of > sorts in America and England, or to our future economic health (on > which > the Third World is totally dependent also). > > Trying to think how to end this posting, I've been standing at the > door to > my garden as the sun goes down. I'm attracted towards an even more > simplistic conclusion than I've ever written before. What is > happening now > is not the end of history, or ideology, or the nation-state (as per > Fukuyama), nor a clash of civilisation (as per Huntington), nor > even > Armageddon (as per some Christian fundamentalists) but the first > signs of > increasingly bitter clashes for resources. Cheap oil and gas have > given us > such easy economic growth for the past 70 years and could continue > for > another 20 years or so at present rates before it starts to become > really > serious. But the end of this 'easy-era' is clearly now in sight and > known > only too well by the large oil companies. America corporately (if it > did > but know it), and Bush/Cheny/Rumsfeld in particular -- and the > businesses > they are personally associated with -- are now beginning to > establish their > claims for the lion's share of the bulk of the cheapest sources that > now > remain. > > Keith > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- > -------------- > > Keith Hudson,6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England > Tel:01225 312622/444881; Fax:01225 447727; E-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ________________________________________________________________________ > > ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.
