Xander--The Russian Bear is Growling

Russia is announcing that the world need not be concerned with a uni-polar global system any longer, there is another choice besides the United States: Russia. A reinvigorated and re-emboldened Russia has been engaging in a substantial amount of statecraft on every front on which the US has been having trouble. Russia seems to be exerting its newly found vigor in four main areas: (1) Russia is securing its dominance of Oil and Natural gas in the former Soviet Republics, Nordic Countries, and the Middle East; (2) Russia is showing signs of political paternalism in former territories, especially the embattled region of Kosovo; (3) Russia is acting as the diplomatic solution to the North Korean problem and Russia has been meeting with Middle Eastern heads of state and is offering an alternative to the US policy in the region, a Pax Russiana; (5) Russia is withdrawing from the nuclear arms reduction treaty and is declaring a hostile demeanor to the US development of a nuclear shield.

I have been monitoring the development of a reinvigorated Russia for the past five years, but especially within the last six months I have noticed a change in behavior regarding Russia’s perceived role in the international community and regarding Russia’s dissatisfaction with US hegemony. The Russian Oil Juggernaut has been rolling on, and although I have not been archiving news articles regarding the number of oil treaties, meetings and market-securing deals that have been made, a cursory glance over the last two weeks reveals plenty of action:


(1) Norwegian Energy Minister was quoted as saying that the Norwegian government will provide “extensive support for the Norwegian oil and gas industry in its intention to participate in works in the Russian energy sector.” ; Putin visited Saudi Arabia to improve oil and gas relations and proposed the idea of a gas organization analogous to OPEC and also to levy an attack on US policy and denouncing US global dominance as “ruinous.” ; ”Turkmenistan's new President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov was quoted on Thursday as saying he would boost energy ties with Russia, a major issue for Moscow as it vies with Washington for influence in the gas-rich nation.”; and Russia has also been making itself busy in talks with China and India with the goal of establishing closer ties in energy and military policies.

(2) Russia opposes the Western support for an independent Kosovo, continues to back its traditional allies the Serbs and warns that if independence were achieved it would have negative diplomatic repercussions for Europe.

(3) In addition to the state-craft in Jordon and Saudi Arabia mentioned above, Russia is also proposing that the former Soviet nation can provide the diplomatic solution to the North Korean problem and help introduce peace in the Middle East. (There are general articles available on both of these topics but nothing available gives more than superficial facts).

(4) Russia has declared that American hegemony is “ruinous” and accordingly is directly contradicting US goals across the globe by supporting the development of nuclear programs in Saudi Arabia and Iran, arms sales and withdrawal from the arms reduction treaties. Additionally Russia has expressed dismay at the enlargement of NATO and has called American development of a missile shield a possible call for a new arms race.

I will hold off on drawing conclusions regarding the implications of these changes in Russian behavior until the posting a joint piece with my cohort Bill. However, I entreat you all to debate whether this newly emboldened Russia is a positive force in today’s changing world or possibly the great threat that we have managed to ignore for the last two decades.

Bill Megatron--Russia Rising

It has come to my attention that we have a rising behemoth in our midst. We have been focused on trying to ferret out the small creatures nipping at our hegemony, but we cannot forget the big ones.

Russia has made a dramatic resurgence over the last few years and is poised to challenge US hegemony once again. I outline Russia’s reemergence below.

Following World War II, Soviet Russia, quickly emerged as the United States only peer competitor on the world stage. Ideologically opposed to the interests of the United States, capitalism, and democracy, our leaders were quick to assess the need for tough policies of containment to keep the Soviets in their corner and prevent their expansion.

What followed was nearly 50 years of Cold War politics with the United States and the Soviet Union clashing overtly and covertly in many theatres of the world, but never coming to open blows.

The end of the Cold War served as the triumph of US ideals and the vindication for the free market. Communism was dead and Russia splintered, becoming a third rate power overnight, leaving the United States in its “unipolar moment.” Russia has even tried its hand at capitalism and democracy with mixed results.

Over the last several years we have seen its reemergence on the world stage as a powerful actor. No longer a lesser great power, she is coming back as a full fledged Great Power.

There are a number of factors that can be seen to demonstrate Russia’s reemergence. Table 1 below outlines Russia’s economic performance since 1991.

Table 1: Russian Economic Performance Since 1992 (Annual Percentage Change)
	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
GDP Growth Rates	-14.5	-8.7	-12.6	-4.1	-4.9	0.8	-5	3.2	9	5.5	4	7.3	7.1	6.4
Inflation Rates	2,525	847	223	131	48	11	84	36	20.2	15	12	13.6	11.7	12.9
Sources: PlanEcon, Inc., Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the CIA World Factbook

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia’s economy went into a tailspin. Widespread economic dislocation led to nearly a 50% drop in GDP. After 1999, however, Russia’s economy began to recover, thanks largely to Russia’s devaluation of the ruble and worldwide surges in gas and oil prices (which tripled between 1999 and 2000). These surges have buoyed the Russian economy and have contributed to a continual increase in GDP and budget surpluses (Source: Congressional Research Service Report to Congress 2007). Nationalization of the Russian energy industries has given Russia enormous power over energy needs in the Eastern Europe.

Russia’s recovery and resurgence is due largely to its oil and gas industries which were re-nationalized (partially turning its back on free market principles), creating a massive state-run energy conglomerate—Gazprom being one of the largest. Gazprom is Russia’s largest company and is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world, controlling 16% of the world’s reserves. Gazprom also accounts for approximately 119 billion barrels of oil reserves with its recent merger to the oil giant Sibneft. (Sources: International Herald Tribune, Gazprom Statistics, Christian Science Monitor).

All told, Russia's oil industry is "important to world energy markets because it holds the world's largest natural gas reserves, the second largest coal reserves, and the eighth largest oil reserves. Russia is also the world's largest exporter of natural gas, the second largest oil exporter, and the third largest energy consumer." --U.S. Department of Energy, February 2005. Russia ranks second only to Saudi Arabia in possible oil production.

Table 2 below outlines Russia’s total oil production over consumption. As you can see, by 2005, Russia’s oil exports exceed domestic production. Nearly 70% of crude oil production is sent abroad for export. Russia’s oil exports are sent via the multiple-branch Druzhba pipeline to Belarus, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, and other destinations in Central and Eastern Europe (including Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic). The remaining crude oil exports are sent to maritime ports in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea and are sold on world markets.

Table 2: Total Liquids Production													ESTIMATES
	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004E	2005E
Production	7,819	6,951	6,307	6,172	6,017	6,101	6,070	6,312	6,724	7,160	7,660	8,527	9,265	9,480
Consumption	4,423	3,750	3,179	2,976	2,619	2,562	2,489	2,538	2,578	2,737	2,580	2,675	2,680	2,759
EXPORTS	3,396	3,201	3,128	3,196	3,397	3,539	3,581	3,775	4,145	4,423	5,080	5,852	6,585	6,721
Source: EIA -Energy Information Administration

It is also important to look at Russia’s potential economic reserves as well:

According to the Oil and Gas Journal, Russia has proven oil reserves of 60 billion barrels, most of which are located in Western Siberia, between the Ural Mountains and the Central Siberian Plateau. In addition to roughly 67 billion barrels of probable and possible oil reserves, a 1998 USGS survey estimated that undiscovered, technically feasible, conventional reserves were larger than those of any other country in the world. (Source: Energy Information Administration).

A number of projects are under way to expand Russia’s oil and gas fields, including development in the Barents Sea, the Middle Caspian, the Sakhalin Islands to name a few, along with expansions of Russia’s oil pipelines. (Source: Christian Science Monitor, Johnson’s Russia List).

All told, Russia is quickly reemerging as a Great Power, in economic terms, on the world stage. It wields enormous economic power in terms of natural gas and oil production and has vast real and potential reserves that will continue to fuel Russia’s reemergence. We are just beginning to see the first signs of Russia’s political resurgence as a global actor. I will leave it to my colleague Xander (forthcoming post) to outline recent moves by Russia to reassert itself on the world stage, followed by the strategic implications of this to be presented by me in a third post. Clearly, Russia may become a real and potential security threat to the United States once again in the near future, especially if we continue to see a reversal of democratic and free market policies within Russia.

Clash between Islam and west is political, poll finds

Fears of an inevitable "clash of civilisations" between the west and Islam may be exaggerated, according to a global survey that shows a majority of people see positive links between cultures and believe that politics, rather than religion, is the primary cause of international disputes.

A Globescan poll of 27 countries for the BBC World Service found the most common view is that tensions between Muslims and westerners arise from "conflicts about political power and interests" - endorsed by 52% overall. Three in 10 (29%) say such tensions arise mostly from "differences of religion and culture".

Asked if "violent conflict is inevitable" between Muslim and western cultures or whether "it is possible to find common ground" an average of 56% said that common ground can be found between the two cultures - the most common response in 25 countries. On average almost three in 10 (28%) think violent conflict is inevitable. Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, is the only country where this view predominates.

Encouragingly, education can play a role in bridging the gap. The belief that it is possible to find common ground between Islam and the west rises from 46% among those with no formal education to 64% amongst those with post-secondary education.

Strikingly, the poll reflects a belief that violent conflict is more common among Muslims (35%) than Christians (27%) or others (27%). But 52% of the 5,000 Muslims polled say it is possible to find common ground. Amongst the Middle Eastern countries surveyed, that included majorities in Lebanon (68%) and Egypt (54%) and pluralities in Turkey (49%) and the United Arab Emirates (47%).

"Most people round the world clearly reject the idea that Islam and the west are caught in an inevitable clash of civilisations," said Steven Kull, director of the Programme on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, which was also involved in the survey of 28,000 people.

In the UK, 77% of those polled believe Islam and the west can find common ground. In Italy the figure is 78%, in France 69% but only 49% in Germany. A majority of Americans (64%) think it is possible to find common ground, though about a third (31%) believe violent conflict is inevitable.

The concept of a "clash of civilisations" originated with the Harvard thinker Samuel Huntington, who argued that conflict between cultures, especially between the west and Islam, was replacing the old cold war confrontation between east and west. Similar language is used by Osama Bin Laden and other jihadists.

The BBC survey found that 58% attributed tensions to intolerant minorities, rather than fundamental differences between cultures.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,2016643,00.html

deezelboy - Well, this is somewhat reassuring! Thoughts?

Thousands march to oppose expansion of U.S. air base in Italy

VICENZA, Italy (CNN):

Tens of thousands of people in the northeastern Italian city of Vicenza on Saturday took to the streets to protest expansion of a U.S. air base. The noisy but peaceful protest -- upwards of 50,000 people, police said -- targeted the expansion of the base, which would allow it hold the entire 173rd Airborne Brigade, a rapid-reaction force.

The expansion -- which includes the building of barracks on the other side of town -- would allow consolidation of elements of the brigade now housed in Germany, increasing the numbers of personnel from 2,750 to 5,000.

Many marchers ideologically oppose globalization and the Iraq war. Some residents raised issues about military traffic congestion and environmental issues.

TIME: As America continues its military push around the world, these kind of protests will get louder and further destroy our goodwill throughout the world. Global government ignores the natural differences between peoples of the world, and the common sense that not all rules and laws fit all people.

Guest Contribution from Kate

Kate is author of several blogs including Kate's Blog and Worldwide Opinions . I had asked her to prepare a post that would be appropriate for our site and she was kind enough to do so. Thank you so much for joining us here on Right Brained and I hope we engage in some exciting post-related discussion.

It is often said the the UK and the USA have a special relationship, and in many respects this is true. After all, we share a common language, history and culture, and have a major influence on many global initiatives, such as the UN Security Council and NATO. However, I suspect that this decades old alliance may sadly be in danger of cooling.

During my life I have had the good fortune to meet many Americans. I grew up in Stratford on Avon, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors from the US every year, so it would have been hard not to do so. I have noticed that there has always been a certain friendly rivalry between Americans and Brits, but friendly was always the operative word. As a student I would meet other students, who happened to be from the US, in pubs. There would be Brits against Yanks darts matches, they would laugh at our obsession with the weather, we would laugh at their resistance to football (soccer), but it was always extremely good natured. These were people who were just like me. Yes, their accents were different and there was that whole soccer thing, but they grew up watching the same television programmes, listening to the same music, reading the same books, and so on.

However, in the last five years anti-American feeling has grown to an all time high in the UK, and American residents of the country have spoken of experiencing what amounts to racist abuse for the first time.

Who or what is to blame for this phenomenon? Some blame the Prime Minister, Tony Blair and his friendship with the President of the USA, George Bush. Others blame US Neo-Cons who promote the idea that America is superior. I blame the media.

In the months following the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 the UK media could not have been more US friendly if it tried. We, as a nation, were standing shoulder to shoulder with the citizens of the US. We were reminded of our own suffering at the hands of terrorists, and were exhorted to feel their pain. Then a subtle change came about. Some will say anti-Americanism arose at the start of the war in Iraq. The truth is it started before that.

Somewhere, someone made the editorial decision that fellowship and comradeship are all very well, but such sentiments do not sell newspapers, and so a flavour of anti-American feeling crept into media reports. News of shootings, and car chases began to appear, and before we knew it, we were being told America was a bad, dangerous place, not a bit like the UK. They have guns, don't you know! In fact, even gun crime in the UK was being blamed on the influence of the US. By the time the first tanks rolled into Iraq, the British public had been sold a sad and sorry tale of an America that was corrupt and violent. People here are not stupid, they were not blindly believing anything the newspapers told them. This was more subtle. A steady drip, drip, drip of anti- Americanism. An expose` of America's dark side, told in tiny instalments.

The really awful and insidious aspect of this is that no distinction was ever made between the US government and law-makers and the people. All were lumped into one homogeneous mass. All the living representations of William Lederer and Eugene Burdick's 'Ugly American'.

So how does this affect the 'special relationship' you may be asking? This is how. Tony Blair has been defined by his friendship with George W. Bush, and while I personally feel this is the least of his failings, it is portrayed as his biggest flaw. Tony Blair is due to leave office this summer. Gordon Brown, the current Chancellor of the Exchequer and Blair's most likely successor, has made it clear that he wishes to start with a clean slate and I strongly suspect he will distance himself from the US government in an attempt to prove he is different from his predecessor. 'Look at me, I'm no poodle'. While it will be both refreshing and welcome to have a leader who remembers that the European Union comprises Britain's biggest trading partner, it will be a big mistake for us to distance ourselves from our biggest ally.

It would be nice to think our next Prime Minister will have the common sense and intelligence to see through the media hype, but I fear he won't. Our politicians are now geared up to court publicity and making the right impression is the order of the day. Real policies are few and far between. Instead we have knee-jerk reactions based on whichever story is making the front pages of the tabloids. We won't have a leader who believes it is possible to maintain good relationships with both the USA and the EU, we will have one who thinks it necessary to give one the cold shoulder and curry favour with the other. The politics of the playground have arrived in Westminster.

Guest Contribution by Feral Pundit

Xander-- I sent Feral Pundit a request for a contribution and my request has been granted! The Feral Pundit's website can be found at http://feralpundit.blogspot.com/ . I hope you all go visit. What follows is the product of our guest.

“Interested by the subject of your blog. We are engaged in a related debate on (name omitted) (the Iraq war). What do you feel the correct course of action is?”

“I’d love to have a guest opinion piece by you”

OK, Since you asked…………

Where to begin, where to begin………..I guess I can recommend that you read my blog to see what my opinions are on America, the Libs and more of my Conservative viewpoints on the greatest country on earth…America! The “Promised Land” The country blessed by God. That said, back to the subject, my opinion of the Iraq War.

I support the Iraq war and here are some of the reasons why I do:

The WMD Truth:

Regarding WMD Weapons Of Mass Destruction. Do you understand that this term is not limited to nuclear bombs? It means just what it says weapons of mass destruction….weapons with the capability to do mass destruction. Hopefully that will shed a bit of light on what I am about to say. Iraq did have WMD’s.

Iraq had continued its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs in defiance of UN resolutions and restrictions. Baghdad had chemical and biological weapons as well as missiles with ranges in excess of UN restrictions; What was said prior to the “Invasion of Iraq” is “if left unchecked, it probably will have a nuclear weapon during this decade”.

Here is a CIA report to back this up.

Here is another report about serin gas, another WMD:

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A roadside bomb containing sarin nerve agent recently exploded near a U.S. military convoy, the U.S. military said Monday.

Don’t like the US reports? then here is a British report:

Iraq started research into the production of chemical weapons agents in the 1970s and started batch production of agents in the early 1980s. At that stage, production was heavily reliant on the import of precursor chemicals from foreign suppliers.

Another Report:

Gary Milhollin of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control testifies in Congress before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and the South Asia Committee on International Relations that Iraq “is still committed to developing weapons of mass destruction.” He states: “Iraq has become self-sufficient in biological weaponry; it possesses the strains, growth media and infrastructure necessary to build a biological arsenal. Iraq also retains stocks of chemical agent from the period of the Gulf War and is known to have all the elements of a workable nuclear weapon except the fissile material needed to fuel it. Iraq’s authorized program for developing short-range missiles will also enable the building of longer-range missiles, and Iraq is showing an interest in cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, apparently to deliver chemical or biological payloads.” [US Congress, 10/4/2001]

OK so what’s your argument against believing Saddam had WMD’s?

Most of all I support the continued war in Iraq because it is one less foothold for Iran and its bitch Syria, which were flooding weapons and insurgents into and out of Iraq.

I stated in a comment, on another site, that I believed that the recent deployment of 20,000 new troops was to address just this.

From (PMS)NBC one of the liberals news outlets:

Jan. 24, 2007 - Why is the Bush administration escalating its accusations that Iran is backing Shiite extremists inside Iraq? One reason: mounting intelligence indicating Tehran has been supplying insurgents with electronic sensors that trigger roadside bombs used against U.S. troops.

This is why the Libs “Cut and Run” objective would be a detriment to the security of the world.

I am not saying that 20,000 ground troops will defend against Iran, just that there are many Iranian operatives in Iraq that need to be dealt with before the cruise missiles and bombers take action.

First let me comment on the Liberal Media, the Leftists and their campaign to “Brainwash” the people into believing that President Bush is responsible for everything that goes wrong in our country.

I am a Conservative not a Republican mouthpiece, however until a better choice is offered, I vote Republican and I support President Bush. This does not mean that I agree with everything his administration says and does, ie: Lack of Border control. I do not believe that opposing politicians(Democrats) should be siding with the enemy and spreading their propaganda and blatant insults against our sitting President, and making personal attacks when they are not doing anything to help this country. However, this is the current liberal policy.

Conservatives believe (in a nutshell) in less government involvement in our personal lives, and the ability of every citizen to be self sufficient, and allowed to reap the benefits of their own labor and good deeds. Stop playing the victim and take responsibility for your own actions in life and you will prosper. The Liberal agenda believes….well just take the opposite of what I just said.

People, we are in a time of war and the left wing whacko in this country are teetering on the verge of treason.

We have seen terrorists using the same “Catch Phrase” insults against the military and the President, as the liberals, in fact sometimes it is difficult to tell who is the terrorist and who is the liberal Democrat, John Kerry comes to mind.

We have the ACLU supporting anything and everything that is dangerous and hurtful to this country, we have communist lawyers such as Lynn Stewart supporting terrorists by passing confidential information and getting a liberal Judge (Clinton appointed) to let her off with a slap on the wrist (See My Article)

Waco communist funded and based organizations like Moveon.org, and George Soros, who fund and promote homegrown riots and other terrorist demonstrations, fighting for the right to suppress Americans rights and freedoms, while bolstering the promotion of the communist agenda.

And of course the ACLU and their support of Child Molesters and other deviates rights, but not the right to be able to mention Jesus in public.

(Another of my articles here)

Support for terrorism by these groups is also a concern of mine.

See my post on the “Muslim Thinkers Society“

Also see the Democrat party pray to Allah

This is the “Hey Dey” of the communist Democrat party, in this country, but they are burning out. They are not as many in number as the Libs would have you believe. Imported by Anti American Organizations, to riot, incite, and cause chaos in our country. We will send them back to the bowels of hell, where they came from.

Putin Blasts U.S. for Its Use of Force

Saturday, February 10, 2007

MUNICH, Germany - Russian President Vladimir Putin blasted the United States Saturday for the "almost uncontained" use of force in the world, and for encouraging other countries to acquire nuclear weapons.

Putin told a security forum that "we are witnessing an almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations" and that "one state, the United States, has overstepped its national borders in every way.

"This is very dangerous, nobody feels secure anymore because nobody can hide behind international law," Putin told the gathering.

Putin did not elaborate on specifics and did not mention the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. But he dismissed suggestions that the European Union and NATO had the right to intervene in crisis regions.

"The legitimate use of force can only done by the United Nations, it cannot be replaced by EU or NATO," he said.

Putin's comments to a weekend forum attended by 250 officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, came after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the international community is determined to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Merkel said Tehran needed to accept demands made by the U.N. and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"There is no way around this," Merkel said. "What we are talking about here is a very, very sensitive technology, and for that reason we need a high degree of transparency, which Iran has failed to provide, and if Iran does not do so then the alternative for Iran is to slip further into isolation."

Merkel, whose country holds the rotating European Union presidency, emphasized the international community's support for Israel and said there was a unified resolve to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

"We are determined to prevent the threat posed by an Iranian military nuclear program," she said.

The annual Munich Conference on Security Policy, now in its 43rd year, is often used as an opportunity for officials to conduct diplomacy in an informal setting.

Some 3,500 police were on hand to provide tight security for the conference and kept the usual throng of demonstrators away. This year, several thousand protesters were expected, protest organizers said.

Heading in to the conference, Larijani, who is scheduled to speak on Sunday, said he planned to use the conference as an opportunity to talk about Iran's nuclear program. Those would be the first talks with Western officials since limited U.N. sanctions were imposed on the country in December, which fell short of harsher measures sought by the United States.

Larijani was expected to meet with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Javier Solana, the EU's chief foreign policy envoy.

At the opening dinner on Friday, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni urged international solidarity in putting pressure on Iran to prevent it from producing a nuclear weapon.

"It is a regime that mocks the Holocaust while threatening the world with a new one, while trying to develop a weapon to do so," she said. "Iran is a threat not only to Israel ... but to the world. The international community cannot show any hesitation ... Any hesitation on our part is being perceived as weakness."

The conference this year focuses on "Global Crises - Global Responsibilities," looking at NATO's changing role, the Middle East peace process, the West's relations with Russia and the fight against terrorism.

Merkel opened the conference telling the delegates that one of the major threats facing the world today is global warming, urging a combined effort to combat it.

"Global warming is one of the major medium- to long-term threats that could have a dramatic effect," Merkel said.

Gates, who planned to talk Sunday on trans-Atlantic relations, was expected to press allies for more troops and aid for a spring offensive in Afghanistan.

He delivered the message Friday to a NATO defense minister's meeting in Seville, Spain, but got a lukewarm response.

France and Germany are questioning the wisdom of sending more soldiers, while Spain, Italy and Turkey have also been wary of providing more troops.

Xander- Art of War

Although I am certainly a proponent of American ideals, I am not so foolish as to believe other cultures do not have wisdom to share. European history is deep and serves an American to know well, but of equal importance are the more recent lessons in Latin America, the timeless knowledge of African philosophers and of course, the ancient wisdom of the East. It is this last place that I entreat you to look today. The quotes are all taken from Sun Tsu’s “The Art of War.”

“When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.”

If one must engage in warfare, one should be mindful of how long a given strategy will take and the impact it will have on troop morale. We are learning this lesson all over again in Iraq.

“Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.”

Here again, we consistently bleeding resources, and now that our resolve has been weakened further by declining domestic support, we have reduced the efficiency of our expenditures even further.

“Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped,
your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains
will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man,
however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must
ensue.”

Here is why it is essential that the US seek an undeniable victory, immediately. The ongoing debacle in Iraq is beginning to wreak of a nation that is unsure of itself and unwilling to take the steps to finish what it has started.

“Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.”

We need resolution now, not retreat, not a slow transition, but a swift, creative and definitive solution to the current situation.

“There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.”

With this I must agree completely, victory must be total, swift and irreversible.

“It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on [that is rapidity].”

The US has long taken comfort in the safety and assurance that distance and weapon superiority has given us. We have grown idealistic concerning our role in the world and the actions that we must take when engaged in war. War is not pretty, it is death and destruction, it is the antithesis of life and prosperity. It must be utilized when necessary and conducted in a manner that makes victory worthwhile and profitable.

“Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.”

Warfare itself is a zero-sum endeavor, by investing our resources in this given encounter, we cannot invest them elsewhere. We should be utilizing the resources of those of which we have conquered. Order should be attained at the expense of those that it must be imposed on.

“Now in order to kill the enemy, our men must be roused to anger; that there may be advantage from defeating the enemy, they must have their rewards.”

Here is where we have been making severe mistakes as a nation. We deride, humiliate and scorn our soldiers for doing well at their jobs. If a soldier kills 10 men in combat he should rewarded and encouraged to kill 10 more. It is only by giving heartfelt support and reward that we will encourage an effective military campaign on our behalf.

“In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.”

When was it that we forgot that it is better to win quickly with the use of violent, destructive and draconian methods than to lose slowly by treating the threats “humanely”?

“War is not a thing to be trifled with."

We have entered into war, and it must be brought to its conclusion no matter how much disdain the public has for what victory requires.

“Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.”

This should be our chief stratagem, to break the will of our enemy, to show them what will and determination truly is, that they have no possibility of victory because we would rather burn down their home, and those of anyone else in our way then allow any future chance of harm to come to us. Once they believe that we are resolute in our will to destroy all that threatens, they will lose their will to march towards inevitable destruction for themselves and their loved ones.

“What enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men, is FOREKNOWLEDGE.”

We need superior intelligence. We need more spies, we need our hands untied for truly effective interrogation. We need technology employed to observe, monitor and intercept enemies at the very inception of their plans. This is at the center of our continued Hegemony, the ability to have foreknowledge of the plans of our enemies, both foreign and domestic.

“If a secret piece of news is divulged by a spy before the time is ripe, he must be put to death together with the man to whom the secret was told.”

Loyalty to the nation should be foremost; the recent mission of the media to encourage treason through revelation of sources and plans is a nail in the coffin of victory.

Sun Tsu is revered for his take on military strategy across the world. The Art of War is required reading in almost every military academy established, and yet as a nation we have forgotten these crucial lessons and have become weaker for it. Hegemony requires will to greatness and the will to create victory in any situation.

Stuart-- Nollan and Dolan: Government takings of private property for the advancement of public needs.

I am currently going through my zoning class, and we have reached the issue of 5th amendment property rights (as we had in property class years ago) and it has spawned a few questions that I wish to put to all of you.

In Nollan v. California Coastal Commission 483 U.S. 825 (1987) the plaintiff (Nollan) had sought a permit to demolish a small single-bedroom bungalow and to erect a three bedroom house in its place. The California coastal Commission (CCC) informed the plaintiff that they would grant the permit conditional to the Nollans granting an easement of public access across a portion of their property. The CCC argued that such an easement was necessary for two public goods: (1) the public has the right to have ease of access across the public beaches on either side of the plaintiff’s property, and (2) the public has a psychological right to know that there is a beach nearby that they have the right to visit.

The Court found the reasoning of the CCC repugnant and held that for a government entity to effect a taking on a private party through a required easement or area of non-development then there must be an essential nexus between the public need and the requested taking.

In Dolan v. City of Tigard 512 U.S. 374 (1994) Plaintiff (Dolan) sought permit to expand her business and construct a larger parking lot. The Plaintiff’s property was adjacent to a floodplain. The City of Tigard put a condition on the issued permit that Dolan dedicate a portion of land for public bike path and that she dedicate a portion of her land for improved drainage.

The Court held that there must be a rough proportionality determination of the impact of the development plan on increasing the public’s need and any takings must be made in direct proportion to that impact. There must be “some sort of individualized determination that the required dedication is related both in nature and extent to the impact of the proposed development.”

Both of the cases I mentioned involved physical occupation of private lands. Dolan’s proportionality requirement might encourage impact fees which are directly proportionate to the impact caused.

My questions that I put to you out there are:

(1) Is it a proper use of government bodies to assign costs to individuals based upon the actions they wish to take or should government be much more non-discriminatory in its exercise of power and simply collect taxes and use public funds to further public goals/needs?
(2) Based on this logic, would it be proper for private land owners to receive kickbacks from cities when they perform something for the public good? (It seems only fair to me if they are to be held responsible for burdens they impose).
(3) Where does this end? Retirement communities have won the right not to pay for public schools, so what stops individuals from placing deed restrictions on their property to circumvent fire, police, hospital, etc fees and/or to avoid taxes all-together.

I have no problem with individualized costs, it is much more efficient, but when the costs are imposed on developers it seems that the benefits should also be reimbursed through tax cuts and fee waivers. However, I doubt that any court in the land would support the latter argument because after all what we are talking about it is the right of government bodies to tax/take/steal all that they can from private owners.

Xander: Crazydoc. 666. Weed. 23. Pi. Pie. Illuminati. Free Masons. Canada.

It has been brought to my attention that one of our readers, who is in fact also a contributor, doubts that I am real. Well Crazy Doc, buckle up, we could end up miles from here.

I find particular irony in this member doubting my existence, since he is in fact, the one person (besides those that know me) that could validate my existence. You ask why? That is the purpose of this post, to expose exactly who and what “Crazy Doc” really is.

666. Weed. 23. Pi. Pie. Illuminati. Free Masons. Canada.

What do all of these things have in common? Crazy Doc. I am going to attempt to show that Crazy Doc is in fact a fictional persona created by members of the William Randolph Hearst Ideological Advancement Administration (WRHIAA) in an effort to undermine the rising importance of non-WRHIAA within the political and public sphere.

The WRHIAA was created shortly after the death of its patron saint, W.R. Hearts (newspaper magnate) and notorious opponent to all things “un-American.” One such un-American product was media critical to his views (see Orson Wells) and another was the increasingly popular recreational drug Marijuana. I should note, I fully applaud the efforts of the WRHIAA in these areas.

The WRHIAA was founded by a disgruntled member of the N.C. Chapel Hill Masonic Temple who felt that his Canadian heritage gave him a unique perspective to view the threats to all that was American. Membership slowly accrued and power was loathe to transfer to the emerging WRHIAA, so the founding member, Kyle Beucke, made a pact with a Nordic purveyer of fine wine and pornography. On the night of Samhain Mr. Beucke along with his contracted accomplice conducted a ritual on behalf of the WRHIAA that summoned Mephistopheles, the negator. Mephistopheles made a deal with Buecke, granting the WRHIAA an endless supply of funds and the power to conceal itself from general knowledge but there was also a price. Buecke was branded with the mark of the beast, the number 666, and was transformed into a creature with an insatiable need for all manner of pies. Buecke’s disfigurement and growing appetite for pie resulted in a diminished role for the founder but it did also necessitate the creation of a committee dedicated solely to satisfying his needs, at all costs. The committee took on the designation, 23, and is headed by non-other than Phillip Calvin "Phil" McGraw, PhD., AKA: Crazy Doc.

Becoming bored with his endless pie duties, Crazy Doc soon became concerned with giving Buecke an outlet for his passions, and conceived of a digital medium where disfigurement didn’t matter and one was not required to leave the comforts of a pie filled room. In conjunction with Al Gore, Crazy Doc gave birth to the internet as a venue for Buecke and also as a means to free Crazy Doc of his duties and give him a way to reach his ultimate ambition: taking over as leader of the free world.

I have fallen under the wrath of Crazy Doc purely by accident. Before I matriculated from graduate school, I was moonlighting as a mere Pie Delivery Boy. It was through an unfortunate series of events that I came to witness the murder of Buecke and subsequent overthrow conduced by Crazy Doc. Although I was able to escape and secure a measure of safety by creating a failsafe in the event of my unnatural death, Crazy Doc has directed his energies to discrediting me through the internet and the usage of his co-conspirator’s magazine, O.

The Crazy Doc blogger ID is really a team of McMaster University graduate students operating out of Hamilton, Ontario. The WRHIAA pays for their graduate stipends as well as moderate per diem for their work. So far their efforts have not impressed me, but I know they are doing damage to my reputation none-the-less.

I hope that my message will continue on and that none of you are convinced by the betrayer of the beast, Crazy Doc.

Massive Bomb Destroys Baghdad Market
121 killed as Baghdad market obliterated

By STEVEN R. HURST
Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A suicide bomber driving a truck loaded with explosives hidden beneath cooking oil, canned food and bags of flour obliterated a Baghdad food market on Saturday, killing at least 121 people in one of the most fearsome attacks in the capital since the U.S. invasion in 2003.

It was the fifth major bombing in less than a month targeting predominantly Shiite districts in Baghdad and one provincial city to the south. This one leveled about 30 shops and 40 houses, witnesses said.


The Health Ministry said more than 300 people were injured in the thunderous explosion that sent a column of smoke into the sky on the east bank of the Tigris River. The nearby al-Kindi hospital - quickly overwhelmed - began turning away the wounded and directing ambulances to hospitals in the Shiite Sadr City neighborhood.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the bombing was "an example of what the forces of evil will do to intimidate the Iraqi people."

The bombing came just days before American and Iraqi forces were expected to start an all-out assault on Sunni and Shiite gunmen and bombers in the capital.

Only a day earlier, 16 American intelligence agencies made public a National Intelligence Estimate that said conditions in Baghdad were perilous.

"Unless efforts to reverse these conditions show measurable progress ... in the coming 12 to 18 months, we assess that the overall security situation will continue to deteriorate," a declassified synopsis of the report declared.

Emergency workers and civilians wheeled scores of bloodied and mangled victims into the hospitals with intravenous drips already in their arms. Doctors and paramedics were in a frantic triage to save the lives of the most seriously wounded.

"We don't allow big trucks in the market, but the driver convinced us that he had food to deliver for a shop. Once he got inside, he detonated the bomb," said Kamil Ibrahim, a 36-year-old vegetable vendor at the entrance to the market district.

Ibrahim - wounded in his head, chest and abdomen - said two of his workers, young men 18 and 19 years old, were killed instantly.

The shopkeeper spoke from a bed in al-Kindi Hospital, where he was rushed in a private car after rescuers wheeled him out of the market on a wooden cart.

Suspicion immediately fell on Sunni insurgents - al-Qaida in Iraq and allied groups in particular. The militant bombers are believed to have stepped up their campaign against Shiites in the final days before the joint U.S.-Iraqi crackdown in Baghdad. Many saw the operation as a last-chance effort to clamp off violence that has turned the capital into a sectarian battleground.

Suspected Sunni attackers have appeared emboldened in recent weeks after radical anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, under pressure from fellow Shiites who dominate the government, ordered the thousands of gunmen in his Mahdi Army militia to avoid American attacks in the coming assault.

In the hours after the explosion, Shiite and Sunni mortar teams traded fire across the darkened city. Two people were killed and 20 wounded in one predominantly Sunni district.

The White House called the bombing an atrocity and said, "Free nations of the world must not stand by while terrorists commit mass murder in an attempt to derail democratic progress in Iraq and throughout the greater Middle East."

iolence shattered the northern city of Kirkuk as well. Eight bombs exploded within two hours, the opening blast a suicide car bomber apparently targeting the offices of the Kurdish Democratic Party of Massoud Barzani, leader of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.

Two people were killed in that blast and four nearby homes destroyed. There was no claim of responsibility for the series of bombings in the oil-rich city where Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen all claim ascendance.

Sunni insurgents were seen as likely suspects, however, as many of them have fled to the north of the country in a bid to escape the crackdown in the capital.

Further signs the insurgents were migrating north appeared in Mosul, where insurgent forces fought Iraqi police and soldiers. Police said five insurgents were killed. Police spokesman Brig. Abdul Karim al-Jubouri said fighters abandoned their attack when Iraqi security forces moved in backed by U.S. air power.

In the Baghdad blast, Maj. Gen. Jihad al-Jabiri of the Iraqi Interior Ministry said one ton of explosives ripped through the Sadriyah market.

"There are still bodies under the rubble," he said. In an outburst of frustration and anger he called for the government to "deport (non-Iraqi) Arabs immediately."

The general's comments reflected growing displeasure inside the government of Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with neighboring Syria, which Baghdad charges has done too little to close its border to Sunni militants.

In his second heated verbal attack on Damascus in two days, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said "50 percent of terrorism enters Iraq from Syria, and we have evidence to approve that."

"The Interior Ministry and the Ministry of State for National Security gave them (the Syrians) evidence about those who are conspiring and are sending car bombs. We gave them the numbers of their apartments and the buildings where they live," al-Dabbagh said on Al-Arabiya satellite television.

The Sadriyah market sits on a side street lined with shops and vendors selling produce, meat and other staples. The market is about 500 yards from a Sunni shrine.

The blast was the deadliest attack in the capital since Nov. 23, when suspected al-Qaida in Iraq fighters hit Sadr City with a series of car bombs and mortars that killed at least 215 people.

Not far from the Sadriyah marketplace, a suicide bomber crashed his car into the Bab al-Sharqi market 12 days ago and killed 88 people.

South of Baghdad, a pair of suicide bombers detonated explosives Thursday among shoppers in a crowded outdoor market in the Shiite city of Hillah, killing at least 73 people and wounding 163.

The U.S. military reported the deaths of five more soldiers - four in fighting and one of an apparent heart attack, all of the victims died Friday.

Iraqi authorities said that 145 people were killed or were found dead Saturday, including those killed in the market bombing. Of the total, 19 were found dumped in the capital, most of the bodies showing signs of torture.

***

Well here we are. The smell of blood is in the air. The US position regarding Iraq has been eroding for months upon months and as we weaken our resolve the violence is increasing proportionately. It is time we realize that we are in fact occupiers until we can instill compatible virtues and act accordingly.