Georgia gets its war on...mccain gets his brain plaque

[Extend a Hand]

The outbreak of war in Georgia on Friday offers a disturbing and somewhat surreal taste of what to expect from John McCain should he become our nation’s Commander in Chief. As the centuries-old ethnic animosities between Georgia and Ossetia boiled over into another armed conflict, drawing in neighboring Russia, McCain issued a stark-raving statement from Des Moines that is disturbingly reminiscent of the language used in the lead-up to NATO’s war against Yugoslavia in 1999, a war McCain zealously pushed for:

“We should immediately call a meeting of the North Atlantic Council to assess Georgia’s security and review measures NATO can take to contribute to stabilizing this very dangerous situation,” McCain said.

Calling on NATO to “stabilize this dangerous situation” is not going down well with Russia, where images of dead Russian peacekeepers and of frightened Ossetian refugees streaming across its borders have put the country in a very vengeful mood. It’s hard to imagine what measures NATO could take under a McCain presidency, but in the mind of a man who thinks US troops should stay in Iraq for 100 years, and who runs around singing “Bomb Bomb Iran!” it’s not hard to guess–and even harder not to be horrified by what it may mean come January 2009, should he win.

McCain’s call to NATO-ize the war is not only frightening, it’s also delusional: both NATO and US forces are already stretched beyond the breaking point, even by Joint Chief of Staff chairman Michael Millen’s own recent assessment.

http://exiledonline.com/georgia-gets-its-war-onmccain-gets-his-brain-plaque/

[AlphaCentauri]

1. Freeper are salivating for this war

now they can use it as a excuse to sell and deploy missiles on the russian border.
wonder if this war has something to do with the appreciation the dollar.

[gateley]

3. Devaluation? nt

[AlphaCentauri]

4. appreciation

Devaluation of the Euro, maybe.

Strong dollar lifts stocks, oil, gold fall

Strength in the dollar helped buoy stocks Friday with the Dow finishing the week's session up over 300 points while oil and gold continued falling.

Despite Thursday's downward spiral in the market thanks to worries over the financial sector and weakening job market, stocks ended the week up with the Dow rising 302 points to 11,732 for a gain of 2.65%. The broader S&P 500 index rose more than 30 points, or 2.35%, to close at 1,296, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq National Market Index gained 58 points, or 2.58%, to finish the week at 2,414.

The benchmark 10-year treasury note gained 0.02 to yield 3.95% at the close of bond trading Friday.

Leading stocks higher was an increase in the dollar against major foreign currencies. The dollar rallied against the euro Friday, breaking the $1.50 barrier after the European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged. The dollar's gain against the EU currency was the single largest one-day gain in 7.5 years.




http://www.axcessnews.com/index.php/articles/show/id/16573

[gateley]

5. Thanks for the clarification, but I'm befuddled.

Does this mean our dollar is roughly par with the Euro again? (That's the only currency I know to compare.) And if so, when did that happen? I thought, when the dollar was considered strong, it was like 1 Euro = $1.50.

If I'm way off point, trust me -- don't bother trying to explain. I won't get it. :hi:

[AlphaCentauri]

8. It was yesterday

notice the timing of the war and the strong dollar announcement.

[gateley]

9. I'll try to pay closer attention - and to try to understand. Thanks! nt

[amandabeech]

18. The dollar is weak against the Euro as compared to a couple of years ago.

A few days ago, the dollar reached a low of about $1.59 to buy one Euro. 1.00.

A really strong dollar would be something like $0.88 to buy one Euro.

I'm just writing off the top of my head, but at one time a year or two ago, the dollar was considered weak when it took $1.27 to buy one Euro.

Needing $1.50 to buy one Euro is only a small appreciation against considerable depreciation over the past couple of years.

One reason that oil peaked at $147 or so was because oil is priced in dollars still, and the dollar was tanking, in part due to problems in the Middle East, Nigeria (which has a lot of oil and gas) and hideous news from the U.S. financial and housing sectors.

[amandabeech]

6. The European Central Bank refused to raise interest rates late last week.

The $1.59 Euro was based on wishful thinking of higher rates to stem inflation.

However, this business in Georgia may mean higher oil prices on Monday.

The Euro could be under downward pressure because if the Russians get total control over Caspian and Central Asian oil, and eliminate the possibility of a gas pipeline to Turkey, it will be able to jerk around much of the Eurozone.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet is also sailing down to block Georgia's oil terminal on that sea.

The U.S. is not dependent on Russian benevolence for its oil, but any threat of the disruption of supplies will push up all oil prices.

For example, oil prices go up when there's a major attack on the Nigerian fields and pipelines, or when a couple of monster hurricanes threaten the U.S. Gulf of Mexico production.

[AlphaCentauri]

7. Iraq oil is the other factor that is affecting oil prices

Iraq resumes oil exploration after 20-year break
1 day ago




BAGHDAD (AFP) — Iraq said on Friday it was resuming exploration of its immense oil reserves after a break of nearly 20 years due to crippling UN sanctions, saying it hopes to double its proven deposits of crude.

"Today the Iraqi oil ministry celebrates a return to work by Iraqi oil exploration teams after 20 years of interruption," ministry spokesman Assim Jihad told AFP.

Oil Minister Hussein Hussein al-Shahristani attended a ceremony to mark the event at the Al-Garraf field near Nasiriyah, 350 kilometres (220 miles) south of Baghdad.

Jihad said the ministry would deploy three exploration teams trained abroad in the latest techniques.

OPEC member Iraq hopes the exploration squads will uncover deposits that will enable it to double its proven oil reserves, currently standing at 115 billion barrels of crude.

"The ministry has begun to build new refineries in the country, in the provinces of Dhiqar, Kirkuk, Karbala and Misan while renovating other refineries in Baghdad, Basra and Diwaniyah," said Shahristani.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5heV6gBAowpv-kBb3jYTIr8i2xEow

[amandabeech]

10. And the U.S. will have four carrier groups and two amphibious assault groups

parked next to Iran very soon.

There's plenty to keep the Euro, the Dollar and WTI/Brent gyrating next week.

[AlphaCentauri]

11. Surely that would keep the market in speculation mode

[Redstone]

14. Oh, God. I hope you're not correct, but I fear that you are.

Redstone

[AlphaCentauri]

16. Well, FEAR is what kept the Nazis and Fascist in power

Overcome the fear by reading the 10 commandments

[Redstone]

2. All well-said, but where's the mention of Grozny? Remember, the city that doesn't exist

anymore, because the Russians leveled it with artillery? Twice?

Redstone

[NNN0LHI]

12. That is so pre-Fallujah

The Iraqi city we killed everything that moved in it. Twice. And then let the dogs eat the dead Iraqis.

Don

[Redstone]

13. I am absolutely astounded that the name "Fallujah" has not become a battle-cry in the

Arab world.

What happened there was, I don't know the word to describe it, so far beyond inhuman that it ranks up there with what the Germans did to the Warsaw ghetto during WWII.

Some day, it will come back to bite us in the ass. And we'll deserve it, because WE allowed it to happen.

Redstone

[Posteritatis]

17. Take a look at it in Google Maps sometime

It's kind of fascinating and horrifying all at once. You can still see the trench scars and can tell which parts of the city were leveled (despite things mostly being cleaned up since).

[rucky]

15. That's a really interesting site you linked to.

:thumbsup: