Mulling over LEE LOFASO to STEVE ASHER 22 May 2004

G'day Lee...

>SA>Oils ain't just oils, they're to die for
>SA>May 16, 2004

>SA>It is its citizens' need for oil that drives the US's crusade in the
>SA>Middle East, Margo Kingston writes.

>SA>For reader reaction and more information, see Deputy PM confirms oil
>SA>crisis. ( http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/16/1084646068795.html )

>LL>Bush to invade Iraq.  Apparently, it had nothing to do with WMD or
>LL>any other excuse given by GWB.  The only thing I can reasonably
>LL>come up with is that it was an obsession of GWB to invade Iraq.
>LL>IOW, Bush is insane.

SA>I don't think Bush is insane. I do, however, think he is deluded. The
SA>"American crusade to civilise the Middle East" is probably closer to
SA>the mark than Margo can see, though of course access to Iraqi oil is
SA>a strong motivator for the PNAC / Rumsfeld / Perle / Wolfowitz push.

 LL> If America wanted oil from Iraq, it would have been far less
 LL> expensive to simply buy it.  Therefore, the true motive could not
 LL> have been oil. 

Well, to buy it, the US would have needed to have the UN lift the
sanctions & / or expand the "oil for food" program. The US coveted
Iraq's oil & set out to appropriate it.

SA>I feel that Bush is deluded into believing that he is on a mission
SA>from God or a "higher power" to bring peace and freedom to the
SA>Middle East, and indeed the world - that freedom is a right bestowed
SA>by the Creator etc etc.

 LL> Bush said as much during his commencement address to graduating
 LL> students at LSU.  And it appears that he honestly believes what he
 LL> says.  That is what is so scary.

It was his words I was paraphrasing. When people claim to be "following
the light", "enlightened" etc, they are often unwittingly following
Lucifer, who poses as an angel of light to deceive.

SA>There are those who feel that Bush is being manipulated by
"neo-cons",
SA>such as the PNAC members above, but it is more likely that Bush and
SA>the "neo-cons" are better described as "New
Agers", more aligned
SA>with David Spangler, Marilyn Ferguson, Alvin Toffler and John Naisbitt
SA>than "judeo-christian" "conservatism".

 LL> I am somewhat familiar with the works of Alvin Toffler and
 LL> John Naisbitt, whose writings form the basis for the ideology of
 LL> many neoconservatives.  "War and Anti-War", by Alvin and
 LL> Heidi Toffler best expresses this view.

Basically, these authors are describing a transition to the New age,
using terms like Third Wave, post-industrial, interdependence,
globalisation etc etc. They are all worth reading, and while I 
disagree with their conclusions, I do respect their intelligence
and understanding of the changes taking place.

SA>Bush, Rumsfeld, and the Pentagon have adopted a transformation program
SA>for the Department of Defense, and for whole of the United States.

 LL> The use of contractors in war zones in Rumsfield's idea, being an
 LL> effort to lessen the cost of war.

It also muddies who is responsible for the actions of the contractors
- "it wasn't us", "we didn't know" etc.

SA>If you have been employed by a largeish employer (eg a telco, bank,
SA>government department) in the last 20 years, there is a good chance
SA>that you have been involved in a management-initiated
"change" process,
SA>such as those done by consultants like the "Pacific Institute". They
SA>generally take a number of employees off on external courses for a
SA>few days, abseiling, "trust falling", "possibility
thinking" etc,
SA>distribute lots of glossy posters & giveaways, thinking up "vision
SA>statements", "mission statements" etc etc.

 LL> Conducting war on the cheap seems to be the policy of the Bush
 LL> administration.  However, it is not actually war on the cheap, but
 LL> rather conducting war by doing now, paying later.  That is why Bush
 LL> is trying to hide the true cost of war until after the election.
 LL> That is why Bush is trying to hide pictures of flag-draped coffins
 LL> from being shown on television, etc.  That is why Bush is trying to
 LL> hide the fact that a military draft will be instituted after the
 LL> election.

I think it is partly due to the New Age mindset: if the soldier dies,
it is because he/she did not want to succeed sufficiently; was inferior
in some way, & perhaps not fit to enter the New Age.

SA>This is the type of transformation that is happening in the US military,
SA>Homeland Security, UN Security Council etc etc. They are hoping to
SA>spread "the light of transformation". It is the agenda the Beast 666
SA>is likely to follow, and through it destroy many.

 LL> For the first time in history, one nation controls the entire
 LL> world. And that nation is America.  The Greeks had an empire, but
 LL> that empire stretched only to present-day Pakistan and India.  The
 LL> Romans had an empire, but that empire only controlled the
 LL> Mediterranean. And likewise all subsequent empires, which only
 LL> controlled certain sections of the world.

This is where the authors above seem to get it wrong - they foresaw
an interdependent world, where the nations would work together to
solve common problems, & perhaps giving up some of their sovereignty
to the UN or similar. The reality has been the emergence of the US
as the hegemon, dependent at least in part on the resources of the
rest of the world, but unwilling to be an equal partner.

 LL> Like all empires, The American Empire will one day come to an end.
 LL> Which country will replace The American Empire with its own? 

Probably the European Union, as a mixture of iron & clay states.

 LL> Probably China.  Fortunately, the Chinese prefer to stay where they
 LL> are.  At least for now.

The East, which will probably include China, Japan, Korea collectively,
will turn on the West. One of the bad side effects of the Iraq war is
the push in Japan to alter the constitution to allow the rebuilding
of its military for purposes other than homeland defence. They have
form for attacking other nations in the region, including the US
and Australia.

Cheers, Steve..

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