WORLDWIDE GEOPOLITICAL CHAOS
I do not believe people that forecast the ‘end of the world as we know it’, whether the prediction comes from Biblical prophetic utterances (Armageddon), the Aztec’s or Nostradamus, it makes little difference, no one has the ability to predict the end –whatever your concept of that is. It is certain the world as we know it will change and dramatically so, it is also a certainty Homo sapiens will eventually become extinct here on earth either by our own hand or by the hand of nature but how and when will always remain a mystery.
Now, with that said, I am of the opinion the next generation will encounter a very humbling and even tragic period for the Earth, and all that populate it. One doesn’t need to use their imagination to see it coming; it’s simply a matter of opening our eyes to the mess we’ve made of things.
Who’s at Fault
We can begin by lining up the usual suspects ranging from individuals like Hitler and Hussein to religions, philosophies, sciences, governments, corporations and so on. In other words the question should be who isn’t to blame? Events occurring during the development of mankind have had an accumulation effect. Two hundred-thousand years of human progress (population growth and inventions designed specifically for the convenience of man) has brought us to the brink of disaster for man and a much needed recuperation period for Planet Earth.
I don’t blame early man or woman for inventing the wheel, they were just trying to make life a little easier and they had no idea what consequences (unintended) would arise from that discovery. I do not blame Henry Ford for the millions of deaths and millions of life-changing injuries caused by vehicle accidents resulting from the mechanization of auto manufacturing. I do not blame Bill Gates for the creation and manufacturing of computer software that makes possible the exchange of hideous photos and information around the world as in child pornography, vivid pictures of human executions and a whole lot more. These all fall under the ever present and menacing law of unintended consequences. Every thing we do, every thing we invent, discover or say has unintended consequences, absolutely every thing.
Today, all of us contribute to the Earth’s demise in some way. I don’t know when or how it happened but at some point—actually a series of points (events) that have accumulated over centuries—our leaders (and us too) caused the balance of culture and nature to gyrate out of control into a random spiral, a chaotic black hole right here on terra firma sucking every thing (the good and bad) in and spitting all of its energy out in the form of war, hatred, bigotry, not to mention crime and man-made health hazards.
I’ll illustrate by giving a snap-shot of just one recent day and you can tell me if you see chaos coming. The following is regarding Iran because that is what this blog features for the most part, however, the NEWS BRIEFS could as easily feature the US, or Thailand, Greece, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Central Africa, Iraq, Japan, China, Russia, etc.
NEWS BRIEFS
SUBJECT: Iran
Date: May 13, 2010 (a single day)
The following was collected from just one news site, United Against Nuclear Iran. I’ll paraphrase UANI’s paraphrasing, and if you are in doubt about accuracy check their archives where you can gain access to all of the reports.
Recently the US government prohibited US companies from doing business with Iran as part of the sanctions imposed on Ahmadinejad, the president and Khamenei, the supreme spiritual leader. Of course, when all the US companies pulled out of Iran that cut deep into the companies profits which ultimately added to our unemployment which added to a significant loss of spendable income for Americans not to mention tax revenue for the same government (ours) that imposed the sanctions in the first place. Well, friend, that ain’t all. The United States of America is more openly opposed to Iran having nuclear weapons than anyone else in the world, and why is that? One reason is because Iran’s economy is strong, they have money, oil, natural gas and most other influential nations don’t. Iran wants to sell its petroleum products and China, Russia, and a whole slew of other big and small countries want to buy so they are not nearly as invested in sanctions as is the US. They actually are but they want to keep it a secret, France doesn’t want to make Iran too angry by joining the US in a big way, and instead of ‘foot-stomping’ they only ‘toe-tap’ their ire.
Our government has prohibited US companies from doing (a lucrative) business with Iran, so, do ‘sanctions’ work and who is hurt the most? The US is hamstrung financially by imposing restrictions and that’s not all—our government (the government that prohibited US companies from doing business in Iran) has awarded in recent years $880 million to seven foreign companies involved in Iran’s energy sector. Where are those profits and taxes going? Yes, you are right; they are going to the foreign countries holding the contracts with the US. According to the Bloomberg Report Boeing and Exxon Mobil are lobbying to fend off tightened sanctions against Iran, why? Because it may cost $25 billion in US exports, that’s why. That’s $25 billion Americans need to ward off the severe effects of the global financial crisis. The report goes on to say that Legislation now before Congress would expand a 1996 law penalizing foreign companies that invest in Iran’s oil industry. To me that spells trouble for the United States from a financial perspective. And of course it spells more trouble for most all the other countries too.
CAN WE HANDLE THE TRUTH?
It may sound as though I am against sanctioning Iran and other countries doing business with that country but there is nothing further from the truth. The problem with pushing for everyone (China, Russia, France, Great Britain and others) to sanction Iran—the only way sanctions can be effective—is for the citizens of the US to be willing to embrace REAL austerity, and I mean R-E-A-L austerity. Can you see the turbulence brewing? I know we are NOT Thailand or Greece but, nevertheless, what is happening there can happen here.
RUSSIAN RHETORIC
You might recall that I am paraphrasing major news reports from just one day in May to illustrate my point that drastic changes are on the way. On that same day (May 13, 2010) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the United States and other Western nations against imposing unilateral sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, Interfax reported. What next?!
A Pragmatic Approach to Iran’s Nuclear Capability
There are numerous reports, some conflicting, that Iran is only six months away from being ready to test an A-bomb. That may be true but even if it isn’t everyone knows they are headed in that direction.
From a pragmatist’s point of view—if the above is true and Ahmadinejad carries out the threat he made to the world regarding Israel’s nuclear extinction—this is how it would look. According to a recent article in The National Post destruction would be demonic and in turn could trigger a worldwide economic collapse. Take just a few seconds and imagine what the US healthcare system would look like then. Think about pension plans and social security; think about food supplies, energy supplies. The list grows like Pinocchio’s nose. Oh, I forgot to mention what Washington DC’s Center for Strategic and International Studies concluded about such an event. If Iran lobbed a relatively small 100-kiloton nuke at Israel and Israel returned a lob of its own from just some of its 200 (much more powerful bombs) the Center estimates, at the low end, sixteen million deaths within three weeks. The deterrent of mutually assured destruction only works when the folks who have their fingers on the red button are not quite ready to meet their maker. On the other hand those button pushers expecting a harem of virgins awaiting them might be motivated to expedite the event.
According to AFP report carried on United Against Nuclear Iran’s website Republican Senators Jon Kyl, John McCain; Independent Joseph Lieberman; and Dem Senator Evan Bayh urged Obama to prepare sanctions targeting the Central Bank of Iran in the event of diplomatic stalemate. Remember, Obama offered his hand to Ahmadinejad in an effort to solve the nuke matter diplomatically. Many folks, this blogger included, had doubts the overture would work. President Obama, thinking he was the new face of America, offered his open hand to prevent ‘a closed fist’ approach later. Sanctions aren’t likely to work either. So, what’s next?