desperate housewives and Al Queda

[Plane]

Fix today's problem today.  When tomorrow's problem arrives, deal with it.

True, I am not a qualified Prophet.
But I don't paint the windshield of my car ad drive by looking at where I am out the side .

The USA is not colonial and is not cheating anyone for oil, accepting this speculation might suit you , but  am skeptical that there is any profit to be had that way.

How sweet will the deal have to be , in order to recoup the investment in reasonable time?

As far as I know ,there is nothing at all presently or planned to keep China and Japan from outbidding us for every drop of Iraqi oil.

[Xavier_Onassis]

As far as I know ,there is nothing at all presently or planned to keep China and Japan from outbidding us for every drop of Iraqi oil.

====================================================
This statement reveals a rather abysmal knowledge of how oil is sold. The US does not bid on oil from any other country. Oil companies, not national governments, do this, and they do not ship all their purchases to one or two customers, they ship it to all their customers at the highest price the market will bear.

The greater the demand, the higher the price.

I doubt that Fred Thompson would be the best expert in explaining international commerce in oil to anyone. He;s not an economist, he's a frigging actor.

[Amianthus]

I doubt that Fred Thompson would be the best expert in explaining international commerce in oil to anyone. He;s not an economist, he's a frigging actor.

Actually, Fred Thompson is an attorney with degrees in philosophy and political science (as well as his JD) that also acts on television.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Actually, Fred Thompson is an attorney with degrees in philosophy and political science (as well as his JD) that also acts on television.

======================================
So is he capable of explaining oil pricing to the public?

He hasn't revealed any brilliance in any speech I have heard. He does have an impressive voice, though.

[Amianthus]

So is he capable of explaining oil pricing to the public?

And a Spanish teacher is more qualified than someone who has spent time in Congressional committees studying the subject?

[Xavier_Onassis]

And a Spanish teacher is more qualified than someone who has spent time in Congressional committees studying the subject?

(a) how do you know that Thompson has spent any time in any Congressional committee studying anything? I do not doubt that he had some aides study issues and brief him on them, but I question your assumption that all elected leaders by definition and studious experts of any sort. Thompson has never been noted for being a particular energetic individual at anything, other than, perhaps, acting. But he is quite tall and has a nice voice, as I have stated. Also, he is too close to being bald to be elected president. It would appear that he has little chance of even getting the nomination.

He seems to me to be the least qualified of all the serious candidates of either party. He does not seem to be able to organize a staff, or give an effective speech. One would expect at least superior oratorial skills from a trained actor. His near  baldness is not a factor in my lack of enthusiasm for him, but it does seem to matter a lot to the public. A large percentage men of presidential age are bald, and yet, only Eisenhower, the war hero,and Lyndon Johnson, who ascended to the presidency after JFK's assassination, have managed to be both bald and president. We have had two bald Adamses,  a balding McKinley, Ike and LBJ. I can't think of any others.
 
Adlai Stevenson could have been a great president, had he not been follicularly challenged.


(b) Where was it that I said I was more qualified than Thompson? I do know that there won't ever be a situation where China or India will deprive the US of oil imports because it has been "outbid", because that is not how oil economics work.
The US does not bid for oil imports with other countries. Various parts of Iraq, ie Kurdistan, have been making deals with private companies without getting the national government (such as it is) involved at all.

Although I am not running for office, this does not mean that it is impossible for me, or you, or pretty much anyone, to know more than any given member of government. We all seem to know that corn is not a viable substitute for imported petroleum, for example, and many politicians deny this.

[Amianthus]

(a) how do you know that Thompson has spent any time in any Congressional committee studying anything?

He was a member of the Senate Finance Committee which deals with trade issues.

Thompson has never been noted for being a particular energetic individual at anything, other than, perhaps, acting.

Do you have any source for this other than your prejudice?

Various parts of Iraq, ie Kurdistan, have been making deals with private companies without getting the national government (such as it is) involved at all.

Private deals are bidding situations as well. If another entity approaches them with enough money, you think that the private companies have some way to enforce that their lower prices will win the business?

[Xavier_Onassis]

Various parts of Iraq, ie Kurdistan, have been making deals with private companies without getting the national government (such as it is) involved at all.


Private deals are bidding situations as well. If another entity approaches them with enough money, you think that the private companies have some way to enforce that their lower prices will win the business?

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Did I say anything to the contrary?

I said that Thompson seemed lazy because it took him ages to get intyo the race, and once in, he has exasperated many professional advisors who have abandoned him in despair. His speeches are unmonumental, which suggests that (a) he cannot personally write uplifting speeches, and (b) he cannot recognize an uplifting speech written by an aide, either. Everyone was expecting him to be the next Ronald Reagan, but he has not attained the stature of the next Paul Tsongas.

I have no prejudice against him at all. I rather like his character on TV. But I don't think he is cut out to be president, and I don't expect he ever will be one, either.

I have served in an infinity of committees. Membership on a committee, I assure you, does not mean doodly-squat.

[Michael Tee]

<<True, I am not a qualified Prophet.
<<But I don't paint the windshield of my car ad drive by looking at where I am out the side .>>

You're trying to talk out of both sides of your mouth at the same time and it's not working.  Your first sentence was right on the mark.  You are NOT a qualified prophet. 

Your second sentence was just crazy - - both the traffic in front of you and the traffic at your side represent the present moment.  To deal with the present moment you should be aware of all aspects of it, front, sides and back.  I am not advocating blacking out the windshield when I speak of dealing with today's problems today.  I say deal with today's problems today - - look out ALL your windows, or at least be aware of what's happening in front, beside you and behind.  What you in effect are doing is looking out the front and/or the sides and/or the back, seeing death and destruction through one or more windows - -  and yet refusing to take the obvious steps to avoid the carnage because "tomorrow" would be "a whole lot worse" if you did. 

You are therefore a classic illustration of the man who willfully refuses to accept that "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."  You are not content to deal effectively with the problems of today because you insist (on grounds of pure fear and pure speculation) on dealing - - in priority to today's problems - - with the imaginary problems of tomorrow which may or may not ever arrive.  It was exactly to guys like you that the maxim "Sufficient unto the day" was directed.



<<The USA is not colonial . . . >>

Come off it.  They invade another country 6,000 miles away on phony pretexts, establish their largest "embassy" in the whole world in this country of only 23 million people and build about 40 permanent bases there, but they aren't colonial?  Who are you kidding? 

<< . . . and is not cheating anyone for oil>>

Cheating?  They're STEALING it.  Openly.  They won't leave until there is a hydrocarbons law giving foreigners the right to own the nation's oil resources. 

<< accepting this speculation might suit you , but  am skeptical that there is any profit to be had that way.>>

What about bank robbery?  You think there's any profit to be had in bank robbery or are you "skeptical" about that too?

<<How sweet will the deal have to be , in order to recoup the investment in reasonable time?>>

Why don't you figure out what a 50% interest in the world's second largest proven oil reserves is worth?  That "sweet" enough for you?

<<As far as I know ,there is nothing at all presently or planned to keep China and Japan from outbidding us for every drop of Iraqi oil.>>

God-damn right there isn't.  And if the U.S. oil industry (Halliburton, et al.)gets 50% of the net profit on every dollar bid, how bad is that for them?

[Plane]

God-damn right there isn't.  And if the U.S. oil industry (Halliburton, et al.)gets 50% of the net profit on every dollar bid, how bad is that for them?

That would be fantastic!

Too bad it s a fantasy.

[Cynthia]

Did I say anything to the contrary?

I said that Thompson seemed lazy because it took him ages to get intyo the race, and once in, he has exasperated many professional advisors who have abandoned him in despair. His speeches are unmonumental, which suggests that (a) he cannot personally write uplifting speeches, and (b) he cannot recognize an uplifting speech written by an aide, either. Everyone was expecting him to be the next Ronald Reagan, but he has not attained the stature of the next Paul Tsongas.

I have no prejudice against him at all. I rather like his character on TV. But I don't think he is cut out to be president, and I don't expect he ever will be one, either.

I have served in an infinity of committees. Membership on a committee, I assure you, does not mean doodly-squat.

Well said, XO

You've hit that nail on the head.

[Michael Tee]

<<That [Halliburton and the other players getting half of the profit from every dollar bid by China and Japan for Iraqi oil] would be fantastic!>>

Sure it would, if your last name were Bush or Cheney.

<<Too bad it s a fantasy.>>

Some fantasy.  To the families of the 4,000 U.S. dead, to the 25,000 U.S. wounded and their families, to the families of 150,000 dead Iraqis, it's too bad it's NOT a fantasy.

[Plane]

<<That [Halliburton and the other players getting half of the profit from every dollar bid by China and Japan for Iraqi oil] would be fantastic!>>

Sure it would, if your last name were Bush or Cheney.

<<Too bad it s a fantasy.>>

Some fantasy.  To the families of the 4,000 U.S. dead, to the 25,000 U.S. wounded and their families, to the families of 150,000 dead Iraqis, it's too bad it's NOT a fantasy.

You seem very sure , are you a qualified prophet?

[The_Professor]

Although use of women can be a sign of desperation, female suicide bombers also help extremist groups attract male recruits. Militants exploit the image of desperate women fighting because there aren't enough brave men, taunting would-be male suicide bombers into action, Hafiz said.

"Women," Hafiz said, "make great propaganda."

Women are probably  forced to blow themselves up in a society where the woman is expendable. Why is it that people can't see that the middle east so damn backward in scope in some areas, that existence of human rights for women...... is just plane beyond ridiculous!


 Women are more capable to rule and "give back" to a society....than any male ever will be.

Common sense and a sense of nurturance is the essence of most women in the world.

Clinton isn't that typical a female...but she might just DO.....Let's see!

My God!

Cynthia, I do not disagree that women can make good leaders, however, there are notable examples that women leaders can be the most ruthless on the planet, ala Golda Meir and Indira Gandhi. This is one reason I advocate that a woman CAN be a good President, even in the arena of national defense.

[The_Professor]

The difference is that the Palestinians or the Al Quad will not suffer a genocide if they just give up and start making a honest living.

===============================================================Al Qaeda is not a race of people, and therefore, it cannot suffer a genocide, just as Halliburton, the Klan, or Skull and Bones cannot suffer a genocide.

What sort of productive activity do you have in mind for the Palestinians? Street sweepers, servants, cheap labor for the Israelis? They have no money for capital investment, they are not permitted to leave the WB and Gaza. It is like a pitbull you keep penned in your yard: if you were to train him to program computers, you might not like what he would do with the income, so you keep him penned up and kick him every so often for being so vicious.

Why couldn't the rich "robber barons of the Middle East", aka the Saudis, etc., help "their brothers" in Palestine in this arena?