Poking Bears With Sticks
Posted by Frank Byrne at 8/14/2008 12:06 PM and is filed under uncategorized 
First of all let's stipulate that oil was and always has been a key rationale behind our venture in Iraq. Not however, to enrich neocons or other nonsense but simply because our country will fail without, albeit shamefully gluttonous amounts of, free flowing oil.
That being said I maintain the right to ridicule the purist "no blood for oil" types who advance a particularly dangerous and, dare I say it "blame America first" agenda that displays remarkable close mindedness in steadfastly refusing to acknowledge even the possibility of nobler causes. But then those who truly believe Barack Obama's resume`is Presidential caliber will probably believe anything - - that's what makes them so dangerous.
But enough of that, let's step back for a wider view of the world stage where the interplay between the Eagle, Bear, and Dragon come into particularly sharp focus given recent events between Russia and Georgia - - which, given how control over 100% of oil to western Europe is now in jeopardy, is ALL about, nothing but, oil.
The Dragon
To maintain its ever increasing standard of living will require ever increasing amounts of energy. The Dragon, therefore, will stop at nothing in its quest to overtake the economic supremacy of the Eagle, after that military supremacy will become its primary focus. It is already ramping up in that regard. Unhindered by humanitarian concerns the Dragon will also stop at nothing to maintain its oil supply, whose main supplier is Sudan. For anyone willing to see the connection, the slaughter and ethnic cleansing in western Sudan is largely underwritten by China.
The Bear
Feeling threatened by pro Eagle governments in Germany, France, and most embarrassingly, its own former states, the Bear responds borrowing a page from Papa Bear, the USSR, as they did Czechoslovakia in 1968, invades a comparatively powerless neighbor to divide, conquer, and eventually rule through a puppet government. Meanwhile, the world watches the Dragon Olympics, histories biggest most shrewdly developed and executed public relations propaganda campaign ever. Economically reinvigorated after a decade and a half of capitalism the Bear is frisky and seeking to expand its territory.
The Eagle
...is tired. Tired from a prolonged war and overextended military, tired from a sluggish economy, tired of a feckless congress and President both at historically low approval ratings, and tired of being unpopular.
Of all the excuses for weariness the popularity thing puzzles most. Think about this: The Dragon overtly aids and abets ethnic cleansing on a scale with WWII Nazis. The Bear places its boot squarely and firmly on the neck of a non-threatening neighborhood democracy. Meanwhile the Eagle deposes a notorious tyrant and facilitates a self-governing democracy in a military operation with a casualties-to-liberated ratio so low it is likely to go down as the most humanitarian war in hisory. All of these actions, in varying degrees, are oil-driven - - yet only the U.S. suffers the middle school curse of not being popular.
Why? because an 800 pound bear, or even bigger dragon, can and will take a crap wherever they want, with nary a thought about what the world thinks. The Eagle? apparently constipated out some misguided priority on world opinion.
The bottom line is, like it or not, the world is still ruled by brute force. That said even the hardest hearted conservative joins his liberal brothers and sisters in wishing that were not the case. But it is the case, and the problem is wishes fill peoples heads with mush - - but munitions actually turn peoples heads into mush. Facts on the ground remind us we need to deal with the world we have - - not the world we want.
If the United States showed even a trace of the disregard for popularity as that of Russia, Iran would have been neutered as a nuclear threat years ago. Some would argue our hesitancy is in direct proportion to the Bears new found aggression, a valid point.
Maybe the most maddening part is that, time after time, our timidity and inaction, driven by a yearn for popularity, has done precious little to enhance our world standing. When we do the "right thing", i.e. stress diplomacy and restraint, and are still considered the bad guys why does popularity factor in our policies at all?
This begs another question; those clamoring to avoid war at all cost are the same folks promoting popularity for its own sake. Is this coincidence or simply both sides of the same page from the left-liberal foreign policy agenda?
This country needs to grow up and realize that popularity is the cost of being number one. Deal with it.
Fighting and winning their wars, rebuilding their countries, perpetuating their economies through favorable trade practices, and subsidizing their lavish socialistic programs by covering their defense costs should not necessarily warrant a defacto cheerleading squad, but at the very least it should warrant the benefit of the doubt.
Memo to world: you are ever-so cordially invited to shop a round for a better lone superpower. We might suggest you see what the Dragon and Bear have to offer, but be sure to call Sudan and Georgia for references.
In the meantime keep your opinions on the Eagle to yourself, remember, he's still circling overhead in search of a target. When he finally let's go it could be ugly.
That being said I maintain the right to ridicule the purist "no blood for oil" types who advance a particularly dangerous and, dare I say it "blame America first" agenda that displays remarkable close mindedness in steadfastly refusing to acknowledge even the possibility of nobler causes. But then those who truly believe Barack Obama's resume`is Presidential caliber will probably believe anything - - that's what makes them so dangerous.
But enough of that, let's step back for a wider view of the world stage where the interplay between the Eagle, Bear, and Dragon come into particularly sharp focus given recent events between Russia and Georgia - - which, given how control over 100% of oil to western Europe is now in jeopardy, is ALL about, nothing but, oil.
The Dragon
To maintain its ever increasing standard of living will require ever increasing amounts of energy. The Dragon, therefore, will stop at nothing in its quest to overtake the economic supremacy of the Eagle, after that military supremacy will become its primary focus. It is already ramping up in that regard. Unhindered by humanitarian concerns the Dragon will also stop at nothing to maintain its oil supply, whose main supplier is Sudan. For anyone willing to see the connection, the slaughter and ethnic cleansing in western Sudan is largely underwritten by China.
The Bear
Feeling threatened by pro Eagle governments in Germany, France, and most embarrassingly, its own former states, the Bear responds borrowing a page from Papa Bear, the USSR, as they did Czechoslovakia in 1968, invades a comparatively powerless neighbor to divide, conquer, and eventually rule through a puppet government. Meanwhile, the world watches the Dragon Olympics, histories biggest most shrewdly developed and executed public relations propaganda campaign ever. Economically reinvigorated after a decade and a half of capitalism the Bear is frisky and seeking to expand its territory.
The Eagle
...is tired. Tired from a prolonged war and overextended military, tired from a sluggish economy, tired of a feckless congress and President both at historically low approval ratings, and tired of being unpopular.
Of all the excuses for weariness the popularity thing puzzles most. Think about this: The Dragon overtly aids and abets ethnic cleansing on a scale with WWII Nazis. The Bear places its boot squarely and firmly on the neck of a non-threatening neighborhood democracy. Meanwhile the Eagle deposes a notorious tyrant and facilitates a self-governing democracy in a military operation with a casualties-to-liberated ratio so low it is likely to go down as the most humanitarian war in hisory. All of these actions, in varying degrees, are oil-driven - - yet only the U.S. suffers the middle school curse of not being popular.
Why? because an 800 pound bear, or even bigger dragon, can and will take a crap wherever they want, with nary a thought about what the world thinks. The Eagle? apparently constipated out some misguided priority on world opinion.
The bottom line is, like it or not, the world is still ruled by brute force. That said even the hardest hearted conservative joins his liberal brothers and sisters in wishing that were not the case. But it is the case, and the problem is wishes fill peoples heads with mush - - but munitions actually turn peoples heads into mush. Facts on the ground remind us we need to deal with the world we have - - not the world we want.
If the United States showed even a trace of the disregard for popularity as that of Russia, Iran would have been neutered as a nuclear threat years ago. Some would argue our hesitancy is in direct proportion to the Bears new found aggression, a valid point.
Maybe the most maddening part is that, time after time, our timidity and inaction, driven by a yearn for popularity, has done precious little to enhance our world standing. When we do the "right thing", i.e. stress diplomacy and restraint, and are still considered the bad guys why does popularity factor in our policies at all?
This begs another question; those clamoring to avoid war at all cost are the same folks promoting popularity for its own sake. Is this coincidence or simply both sides of the same page from the left-liberal foreign policy agenda?
This country needs to grow up and realize that popularity is the cost of being number one. Deal with it.
Fighting and winning their wars, rebuilding their countries, perpetuating their economies through favorable trade practices, and subsidizing their lavish socialistic programs by covering their defense costs should not necessarily warrant a defacto cheerleading squad, but at the very least it should warrant the benefit of the doubt.
Memo to world: you are ever-so cordially invited to shop a round for a better lone superpower. We might suggest you see what the Dragon and Bear have to offer, but be sure to call Sudan and Georgia for references.
In the meantime keep your opinions on the Eagle to yourself, remember, he's still circling overhead in search of a target. When he finally let's go it could be ugly.
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