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This is very Important, since there is not one in Congress or Senate with any planning skills or strategic thinking.
I've said it before...many people can't think strategically...most people don't have a world vision or even a global vision. This is true for any government.
Question: What would the "Perfect Storm" For the USA look like in terms of a crash in the Economy, Civil Unrest, Federal Budget insolvency, Shortage of Resources,
This is very Important from the perspective of Prevention. What are the Symptoms of country collapse?
1) Banks going out of Business,
2) Financial Institutions closing down,
3) Auto and Truck Factories Closing down,
4) Transportation and Distribution Systems being stressed out to near collapse,
5) Businesses unable to pay for shipping to customers,
6) surging drug violence,
7) catastrophic health care costs,
8) Pandemic Disease,
9) Monetary Collapse,
10) Energy Prices soar with shortage of Energy,
11) The government runs out of money to spend,
12) Civil Revolt against authority, local and Federal Government.
Republican President is Elected and Karl Rove says "Let them Eat Cake!"
No one in the US is asking how can we attract European and Asian Tourist. No one is asking how do we attract foreign Investors and make sure the US is seen as a good Business Environment.
Mismatch: Bankers and Financial Manager are supposed to ensure that the USA is a good place to invest and do business. But the common people of the USA don't receive encouragement to study Languages or International Business. Conclusion is that the Bankers have failed to attract foreigners to the USA...and failed to prepare the US People for Globalism.
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(50 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 4:10 PM
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hey OverReader 
good to see you, as always. How are you doing?
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(49 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 4:10 PM
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BP plc is the third largest global energy company, the 5th largest company in the world, the UK's largest company, a multinational oil company ("oil major") with headquarters in St James's, City of Westminster, London.[1][2] The company is among the largest private sector energy corporations in the world, and one of the six "supermajors" (vertically integrated private sector oil exploration, natural gas, and petroleum product marketing companies).[3] The Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
wiki
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(48 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 4:09 PM
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Heya Rainy!
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(47 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 4:09 PM
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Iraq: BP, Chinese win lucrative oil contract
Wed July 1, 2009
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq awarded a lucrative oil contract to BP and China National Petroleum Corp., government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Wednesday, while rejecting other companies' offers for other oil fields.
BP and China National Petroleum Corporation have won a lucrative oil contract in Iraq.
BP and China National Petroleum Corporation have won a lucrative oil contract in Iraq.
The joint BP-CNPC bid was for the al-Rumeila oil field, one of the largest in the world. The energy companies are expected to increase production at the oil field by 50 percent, to 285,000 barrels a day, for a service charge of $2 for each additional barrel produced, al-Dabbagh said in a statement.
The Iraqi government rejected bids for five other oil fields and a natural gas field because the bidders did not agree to the service charge set by the Ministry of Oil, he said.
The Ministry of Oil rejected the idea that the failure to award more than one contract made the much-anticipated auction a flop.
Iraq did not say how much the BP-CNPC bid was worth. It runs for 20 years.
Oil Minister Hussein Shahrastani chaired the government-sponsored auction for the oil and natural gas field contracts Tuesday, after a day's delay due to a sandstorm.
Don't Miss
* Iraq: 35 dead after Kirkuk car bombing
Much of the auction was broadcast live on state television, which Ministry of Oil spokesman Assem Jihad told CNN was a sign of the transparency of the process.
He said the government was satisfied with the auction, even though only one contract was awarded, because the contract was for Iraq's largest oil field.
Iraq plans to open bidding this year on 10 more oil fields and one natural gas field, all of which are undeveloped, Jihad said.
The companies whose bids were rejected Tuesday have been given time to review their offers, he said.
Iraq has some of the largest oil reserves in the world, with an estimated 115 billion barrels -- tying Iran for second place, behind Saudi Arabia's 264 billion barrels, according to estimates from the Energy Information Administration in the United States
http://www.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/07/01/iraq.oil.contracts/index.html
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(46 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 4:09 PM
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> Cause fighting in the mountains of Afghanistan is
> working out so much better, huh???
Weak.
Maybe - just perhaps - our military should have spent more time in the mtns of Afghanistan instead hiring local warlords to do our job. You know, the tribes that took our money to capture bin Laden and then took money from bin Laden to let him escape? Maybe we should have let our military finish the job instead of pulling out assets to go fight a flatlander war in Iraq (where it was easier, of course).
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(45 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 3:57 PM
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> > and second to ensure
> > that the al queda folks had to fight on a nice
> > relatively flat battleground that got them out
> of
> > their holes and caves in Afghanistan. I know,
> it
> > didn't occur to you, big surprise......
>
> Holy Shit.
>
> Did I read this right? We invaded a different
> country because it was EASIER to fight there than
> where Al Qaeda was located? I'm sure the Iraqis love
> that reason even more than the missing WMDs. "Hey
> Iraq! Hope you don't mind us bringing our fight over
> here, cuz you know ... it's just easier to fight on
> flat ground!"
OverReader,
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(44 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 3:56 PM
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> The whole world? Really? And what does "bad"
> intelligence mean?
It means use whatever intelligence suggested they might have them, no matter how weak and ridiculous (the Niger yellow cake bs comes to mind) and ignore everything else.
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(43 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 3:55 PM
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most of us = posters on the Maher boards
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(42 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 3:52 PM
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> > I'd say that's a political axe you like to
> grind, but
> > I'd suggest that the Iraqi war was fought to do
> two
> > things, first to unseat Sadam,
>
> But, but, but...What about the weapons of mass
> destruction?
Oops, lol.
>
>
> and second to ensure
> > that the al queda folks had to fight on a nice
> > relatively flat battleground that got them out
> of
> > their holes and caves in Afghanistan.
>
> Bullshit
Big time.
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(41 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 3:51 PM
Rate this post:
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> Rainy,
>
> >I think most of us see the Iraq war was to win
> contracts on their oil.
>
> Who is "most of us"??
>
> I'd say that's a political axe you like to grind, but
> I'd suggest that the Iraqi war was fought to do two
> things, first to unseat Sadam, and second to ensure
> that the al queda folks had to fight on a nice
> relatively flat battleground that got them out of
> their holes and caves in Afghanistan. I know, it
> didn't occur to you, big surprise......
We were in Iraq for the no bid abominable cost plus contracts that enriched the likes of Haliburton. Period.
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Posts:
4,119
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(40 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 3:46 PM
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> Spot,
>
> Cause fighting in the mountains of Afghanistan is
> working out so much better, huh???
I don't get your point here, lugs. I never said that.
>
> The whole world though Iraq had WMDs, bad intel,
> simple as that. Kind of like Obama is a moderate....
The whole world? Really? And what does "bad" intelligence mean?
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1,981
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6/23/08
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(39 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 3:26 PM
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Spot,
Cause fighting in the mountains of Afghanistan is working out so much better, huh???
The whole world though Iraq had WMDs, bad intel, simple as that. Kind of like Obama is a moderate....
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Posts:
4,119
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(38 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 2:28 PM
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> > and second to ensure
> > that the al queda folks had to fight on a nice
> > relatively flat battleground that got them out
> of
> > their holes and caves in Afghanistan. I know,
> it
> > didn't occur to you, big surprise......
>
> Holy Shit.
>
> Did I read this right? We invaded a different
> country because it was EASIER to fight there than
> where Al Qaeda was located? I'm sure the Iraqis love
> that reason even more than the missing WMDs. "Hey
> Iraq! Hope you don't mind us bringing our fight over
> here, cuz you know ... it's just easier to fight on
> flat ground!"
Yes...you read correctly. It's called "grasping at straws".
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82
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(37 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 2:23 PM
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> and second to ensure
> that the al queda folks had to fight on a nice
> relatively flat battleground that got them out of
> their holes and caves in Afghanistan. I know, it
> didn't occur to you, big surprise......
Holy Shit.
Did I read this right? We invaded a different country because it was EASIER to fight there than where Al Qaeda was located? I'm sure the Iraqis love that reason even more than the missing WMDs. "Hey Iraq! Hope you don't mind us bringing our fight over here, cuz you know ... it's just easier to fight on flat ground!"
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Posts:
4,119
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(36 of 95)
Re: Economic, Budget, & Foreign Policy/Strategy
Oct 27, 2009 2:19 PM
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I don't think the primary reason for going into Iraq was for the oil contracts. (I do believe, tho, that The Bush Admin did see those contracts..and all the other contracts as wonderful secondary benefits for them and their cronies...collateral "benefits").
But nobody will ever convince me that Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld had the foresight that going into Iraq would draw out Al Qeuda. Bush wanted to finish the job his father started. It's that simple.
--
Edited by spotlessmind58 at 10/27/2009 11:20 AM PDT
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