This Could Change Everything...

[Newc]

Bin Laden is dead. He was killed in one of the bombings of the mountain ranges in Afghanistan.

Given his need to be seen on video, it would be too great a victory for him to escape American bombings to pass up the chance to appear on video saying 'Hah, you missed me!'

But, his legions aren't emotionally attached enough to accept his death as martyrdom and carry the torch in his name. They need to believe he's still alive so they can believe in the cause. If they knew he was dead, they'd scurry back to their mosques and await the next fearless leader. Bin Laden's 2nd-in-command didn't have the power over the people, and neither does anyone else.

The audio tapes that have been released since then are fakes. You can't get a decent speech profile match off a crappy tape that's been filtered through Al Jazeera's website. You can barely get one from the original cassette tape. They may have a close match, but I seriously doubt it's Bin Laden on those tapes.


As for Iraq, it makes perfect strategical sense to be there: We're in the Arab's back yard, instead of in our own. Their civilians are dying, not ours. We've destabilized one half of the Persian Empire which every surrounding Arab nation wants. Bagdad is the true Mecca. Whoever controls Bagdad can effectively control the entire Arab world. They're big on symbolism, and the literal heart - or physical center - of the Arab world is Iraq. If you establish Bagdad as the capitol of a united Arab world, invaders have to get through thousands of miles of sand to take the throne.

On the other hand, Washington DC is off to the right. Attack the center of America and you take out a few grain silos in Nebraska.


However, I do agree it's time to leave Iraq. The terrorists aren't so much a problem as the tribal feuds that have been raging since the 5th century. If it's safe enough for them to fight their petty caveman territorial wars, it's safe enough to walk away from.

[fett]

Great Granny Grunt. How did this thread degrade so fast? It will take Brazil years to get this oil on line. And, it's good news. Here's why. There are all kinds of massive pools of oil just waiting to be won on; "Wheel. Of. Fortune!!!!!" The downside is the US is tapped out. The upside is that the exploration guys get a big lift by the news. Oh.Oh. Here's a downside. We are not running out of oil. It's all over the fucking place. So alternative energy takes a hit. Who cares what we do to the world? As long as they keep finding oil we are taking one step forward and two steps back." Do the Hokey Pokey. That's what it's all about." It's an old kids song.:ROTF:

[SouthPlatteDemon]

If the Sierra club and the politicians would stay out of the pursuit and harvesting of oil on our own territory, we wouldn't even be concerned about any of this.

The energy crisis we are entering is self imposed. The question of whether burning fossil fuels is the reason for global warming or if the global warming will really hurt the earth is still a question.

What isn't a question is that higher energy prices will lower your standard of living.

[CharvelRocker]

If the Sierra club and the politicians would stay out of the pursuit and harvesting of oil on our own territory, we wouldn't even be concerned about any of this.

The energy crisis we are entering is self imposed. The question of whether burning fossil fuels is the reason for global warming or if the global warming will really hurt the earth is still a question.

+1000.

[fett]

Now, why would we want to dirty our own litterbox when we have spent decades pissing and crapping in the other's litterbox. It is what we do-do.:ROTF:

[wes225225]

yeah maybe you can find some pitiful excuse to invade brazil instead...

they got weapons of massv destruction.

[SouthPlatteDemon]

Now, why would we want to dirty our own litterbox when we have spent decades pissing and crapping in the other's litterbox. It is what we do-do.:ROTF:

Not when they are charging us $100 to take a shit. And not at the expense of the working man's pocket books or the loss of profit for companys to continue adding capital and thus keep our economy strong.

During the drafting of the constitution, our forefathers negotiated to keep slavery in place. This was done to ensure the success of the republic.

I think we are verging on something similiar with energy.

[fett]

"They" are not charging us $100. The futures market is. It's speculators playing games with everything that is wrong with the commodities markets as it stands today. This BS will end, and soon, when goverrments stop being held hostage by markets that have lost all reason and the reason they were created. There is going to be a massive backlash. It is getting tiresome to watch a few people screw the masses.

[marcus]

Drilling in the US is not the answer to $100 a barrel oil. Any fields that are not being drilled now won't reach peak production for another 10 years if we start drilling today. Also, its estimated the ANWR has 6-10 billion barrels of oil, which isn't much compared to current oil demand, let alone the projected demand 10 years from now. There simply are better things to do to affect the price of energy 10 years from now than drilling for more oil in the US. Plus, the moose and elk will thank us (metaphorically of course)

[Gartron]

"They" are not charging us $100. The futures market is. It's speculators playing games with everything that is wrong with the commodities markets as it stands today. This BS will end, and soon, when goverrments stop being held hostage by markets that have lost all reason and the reason they were created. There is going to be a massive backlash. It is getting tiresome to watch a few people screw the masses.

Fett , doesn't your country have an election next year?, president Fett as a ring to it!

[SouthPlatteDemon]

"They" are not charging us $100. The futures market is. It's speculators playing games with everything that is wrong with the commodities markets as it stands today. This BS will end, and soon, when goverrments stop being held hostage by markets that have lost all reason and the reason they were created. There is going to be a massive backlash. It is getting tiresome to watch a few people screw the masses.

But, what is the underlying reason why they are able to do this and it holds for a while?

[fett]

Because the Oil "trade" is the place to be in the "Pits". When a commodiy is on a Bull Run they are just sucking in "Investors". For the most part, those bastards are trading their own accounts. But they need rubes to feed on. So the average person goes "Long" oil at $98 and the Pit Bulls sell it to them. Then they take their profit and sell. The price goes down. It's called being "Whipsawed". Those guys just love these price swings. The only person that has made any money is one who bought a "Barrel" of oil 2 years ago. But that is not how it works.

[marcus]

Fett , doesn't your country have an election next year?, president Fett as a ring to it!

Nobody with Fett's attitudes towards energy speculators will ever get enough campaign donations to become pres. of the US. He would also likely be frozen out of both political parties. I would say that is lucky for him

[fett]

I do not have an "Attitude".:ROTF: I have seen 30 years of games being played by a small bunch of inbred financial asswipes. Pick a "Crash". Despite what you guys may think, I wasn't there for the "Tulip" Crash.:ROTF: The bottom line is that "Markets" are manipulated now and have been forever by an elite, in their minds, group of people since Day 1.

[DrDoug]

A Viking God in the White House? I could go for that! I would love to see what fett could do in the decorating of the White House!

The futures market has been used to abuse the markets for years. It used to be based on future volume/delivery and anything that could influence it. Some enterprising individuals have found a way to game the system, and the SEC can care less about it. The SEC is about as corrupt as the markets it is supposed to watch over, and they only take action on the egregious offenders or those who make politically good targets.

Both parties are responsible for this mess, and they are not in any hurry to do anything about it (remember, they need the $$$$$ from corporate America!). In fact, they like to use the SEC on the minority party supporters. It is a nice tool to have when you want to punish the other side.

Right now, the oil futures are a big lie and like any big lie, it will only get bigger as it gets retold over and over, until the day comes when someone figures out a way to expose the lie. At that point, it is going to fall apart and be seen for what it is.

People with LOTS of money are doing this, and despite what a politician says, money IS power. Washington D.C. does not corrupt politicians, the money does. When a new pol starts out, they get into office with money from local supporters. The longer they are in office, the less they depend on small contributions and the more they depend on corporate cash. So while a pol may go in to office to 'clean up the corruption in D.C.', they get dragged into it in the pursuit of staying in office for as long as they can.

Those who taste power tend to want to keep it, and that alone is the best argument for term limits. If the president can have term limits, why not our congress?

The markets are a house of cards that are going to collapse one day, like it has in the past. And it will happen again and again because those with lots of money will always find a new way to game the system. Will more rules and regulations help? I don't think so.