[Peace-discuss] Thoughts from Richard Russell, a financial advisor

[Chuck Minne]

August 25, 2003 -- Thoughts over the weekend. How about this -- the US agrees to move all US troops out of the Mideast and in return all Arabs, all Muslims, agree to end terrorist attacks? Would it work? It might work, but it will never happen. It won't happen because it would leave oil at risk -- it would leave Mideast oil "unprotected," meaning fully in the hands of Arabs or Muslims. And it would leave Israel on its own. 

Some strategists are asking, "Is this the big one?" Is this the beginning of the big battle? I'm talking about the battle of the power and culture of the West (US) vs. the hearts, minds of the Arabs and Muslims. That's the way the Arabs and Muslims seem to be taking it. They see the US, not as the saviors of Iraq, but as the occupiers of Iraq. They see the collapse of Saddam and his "army" as an embarrassment to the Arab/Muslim world. Fighters from nations surrounding Iraq are now infiltrating Iraq, in their ongoing "war" to drive the Americans out of the Mideast. This may, indeed, be "the Big One".

Where is the US going with all this? We now have 139,000 troops in Iraq with more coming. The US now has 370,000 troops deployed in more than 100 countries around the world. We've called up 136,000 members of the National Guard. What's happening? What's the plan? Is all this military needed? Can we afford it? And for how long?

Bush is now in an embarrassing situation. After snubbing the UN, he now finds that the US can't "do it alone." So now Bush wants UN help. It's not coming. This places the US in the position of footing the Iraqi bills alone, while desperately trying to build an Iraqi police force (which will take at least 18 months). In the meantime, the US public is less and less in love with the whole Iraqi situation, and Bush's popularity is sinking at the polls.

Next, Rumsfeld wants to completely redesign the Defense Department. He wants more people on active combat-ready duty. He wants every department in the Pentagon examined and questioned. It's a big job. How will it work? Will it all come together? We'll see.

Next question -- how long can the US continue to function with a half-trillion dollar negative current account balance and a half-trillion dollar federal budget deficit? How much new money will Greenspan have to pump into the system to keep it functioning? And how long can the dollar hold up in the face of these mind-boggling expenses? 

Are the neo-conservatives clustered around (or I should say behind) Bush "over their heads"? Are they in water so deep that they don't know where the shore is? Is there no turning back now, and if not, where is it all leading us?



  
 

Jack’s cantankerous steward, Killick, buys a wife, a “snapping black-eyed piece, a perfect sailor's delight.”  In Patrick O’Brian Humorous Quote #24 at my website: www.angelfire.com/mi4/cmin/










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