Empire’s Architecture

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• Reader Comments (4)

  Page 1 of 1 pages

  Congress is taking their typical approach — investigating the cost of a building an “embassy.”

  This is a fort.

  The issue is not should the U.S. establish a base of operations from which to defend our supply of energy — The real issue is…

  What can we do to remove our dependency on foreign sources for our country’s energy?

  With the emeging countries also needing more each year and our increasing needs as well, this can only lead to more military conflicts. If we think Iraq was tough, look forward to an energy tug of war with China.

  Posted by whattheheck on Jan 8, 2008 at 3:49 PM

  I’m more disturbed by the “architecture” of so many enduring military bases.

  All of this comes down to our addiction to the petro-tit and the echoes of past interventions in the region going back two generations on behalf of that same wasteful addiction (which includes an addiction to being wasteful, sorry to say… last time I was stateside I couldn’t get over the number of elephantine vehicles all around, as though the drivers figured to be driving up a mountainside instead of a wide-laned Southern California boulevard… the great-grandchildren are going to hate our guts…).

  Posted by Kuya on Jan 15, 2008 at 10:09 AM

  This monstrosity should be turned over to the Iraqi people to be used as housing to replace their bombed out homes. 

  I would ask who dreamed up this royal mess but it obviously came from pResident Cheney and his sidekick.

  Posted by Magginkat on Jan 17, 2008 at 2:34 AM

  Kuya and Magginkat,

  Let’s take the long view.

  As we have each indicated this is not an approach to the problem which was initiated by the W administration. In fact, this is a centuries old “solution” to any perceived national problem.

  Hitler tagged it Lebensraum — in short:  “WE need more room for what WE Want to do and WE are going to simply take it.” He managed to justify this policy by taking advantage of the national mood and economic conditions in Germany post WW1.

  Our fortress in Iraq is similar short term thinking easily ignored by anyone who is aware of the increasing competition global for petroleum. Sure a small group is getting/staying rich from the U.S. need for oil, but how many of us are willing to do without our cars, warm houses, our stoves, or these computers (which are the latest “necessities”)?

  The whole economy is built on the energy system.

  The cries of, “Congress needs to do something about the price of gas!” began to rise when gasoline went from $0.35 to $0.60 in the 1970s. Until it becomes outrageously expense there will be no serious alternative.

  Meanwhile those who have it will jungle the price to keep that from happening and the national perpetual dependence will dictate our energy/imperial policy. The time will come, possibly even in our lifetime, when China will be the biggest, baddest kid on the block and we will"need” to resort to nuclear (or is it now nucular?) war to survive.

  It matters little whether your life is controlled by a radically vindictive god like the one of Muslim radicals, the almighty dollar, or your comfortable lifestyle…

  With proper preparation of perception WE will see it as a “justifiable” alternative and so will THEY.

  Posted by whattheheck on Jan 18, 2008 at 3:13 PM

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