Will Pitt: why we need war/ My husband: another reason

[morningglory]

A work friend brought me a printed page, an essay by Will Pitt on the Truthout webpage called "The Thing We Don't Talk About". What an essay! It explains why we have to be at war to have economic success. I was telling my husband about it and the propaganda on CSPAN yesterday morning about China's military buildup, and their attempt to buy UnoCal. Hubby said "China needs oil in order to make war and the war is always about getting more oil." Well Jesus C. on a F-ing Cracker! Why can't we get off this treadmill? If we threw wads of money at mass transit, energy alternatives, making bicycles to give to people who are poor, I mean bicycles that will shit and git, as we say here in the south, not the pee wee herman kind. All kinds of good projects would accomplish the same thing as war for our economy. People are willing to support war because they have been made afraid. Well, with this dirty air and water, people might start to become afraid soon. We need help. You all keep doing what you are doing. You are saving me from an apoplectic stroke. Will Pitt rules!

[msongs]

1. seems to me all the bicycles are now made in.....china heheheheh

america's biggest enemy is china, not terrorists. everyday this country is flooded with more cheap trash made in china, trash that will not last, is not quality, and cheapens the value of everything americans own.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

PS - black & decker products are not fit to have in the house anymore

[morningglory]

8. We were camping at a bluegrass festival, and someone needed a

flashlight. Nobody had one that would work. My brother said "remember the family flashlight that we all had when we were growing up in the 50's? When needed, we would go to Dad's rusty toolbox and dig it out. It was so rusty the switch would hardly slide, and the thing always worked? Year after year." Always freaking worked. This new junk from China looks beautiful, brand names like Black and Decker, etc., and they break down in one year. We had the same old toaster oven for years, used it outside in the summer to keep from heating up the house. Gave it to my son and bought a shiny new one that would not look so crappy inside, no squirrel poop on it. I have had to buy one a year at $50 each for 3 years! It just started to dawn on me that I have spent $150 on toaster ovens and the one I have is probably going to die this summer. Can you even buy a made in USA (with good parts) product any more? You can buy a lawn mower at wal mart for $100 that will last one summer or you can go to the locally owned, major brand store and pay $350 and get the same dang chinese lawnmower that lasts one summer! It is maddening.

[CrispyQ]

12. ...as our land fills pile higher & higher!

There's a sci fi story, I believe by David Brin, & one of the main characters & his family made their living going through landfills salvaging our 'junk.' The character comments frequently how wasteful we were & also amazed at some of the totally useless crap we had.

[dogday]

2. Nobody talks about the TAP (Trans-Afghan-Pipeline)

U. S. and Afghanistan were in talks in May of 2001 to let the U. S. lease land for this pipeline. The talks broke down and a few months later we got hit. And wouldn't you know it, by the people whose land we wanted to lease and could not... how convienent....

[JDPriestly]

6. See my post

on the link between the Chinese bid for UNOCAL and the pipeline. I don't know whether the pipeline deal is still a possibility or has been completely dropped, but I haven't seen it mentioned in any of the media in conjunction with the Chinese bid. Unless the pipeline deal was canceled, the silence is deafening. I'm wondering what other strategic significance UNOCAL has and also what white knight will come riding in to outbid China. Does UNOCAL have any interest in Venezuela?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1884243&mesg_id=1884243

[dogday]

11. found this on it

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/FK23Ag01.html

[Divernan]

9. US threatened carpets of gold($) or carpets of bombs!

to the Talliban back in August of 2001, when the pipeline negotiations had ground to a halt. Speculation is that the Taliban then gave the go-ahead for 9-11.

[EST]

10. Yeah, isn't it amazing - Michael Moore mode a specific point

in F-911 about that pipeline's being a major causes of the war in Afghanistan and was roundly denounced as a charlatan and worse for even suggesting such a (crazy, wicked) notion. Lo and behold there is the pipeline, well guarded by American troops as a mute testimony to his (MM's) clarity and veracity, although now no one is bringing it up. Gah, the depth of criminality and hypocrisy of these worthless creeps!

[lonestarnot]

3. It doesn't take war to power MY bicycle!

[JDPriestly]

4. Takes oil to make bicycles these days

Takes oil to make anything these days

[lonestarnot]

5. Bare feet not arms!

[IrateCitizen]

7. Problem is, you can't make any of those things without lots of oil...

People just need to come to grips with the reality that our entire culture is built around the idea of endless supplies of cheap energy.

If people are willing to fight and die for that cheap energy, then they need to sign up and go man the front lines. If people are not, then they need to start making some SERIOUS lifestyle changes in order to bring their lives back into the realm of sustainability, or be labeled hypocrites.

[undeterred]

13. Do you remember Oskar Schindler's conversation with his wife

in an early scene in Schindler's list? He was telling her that he now had the one thing that was missing from his previous business ventures that would now make him a success: WAR
His original motive for using Jewish people in his factory was not to help them out but to exploit them. Thankfully something good came out of it, but to me its still the most cynical thought a human being could have. Wars are horrible.