Why The U.s. Needs To Drill It's Own Reserves, And Keep One Eye Open...

[Daetrin]

People have been imaging it for a loooong time. People would rather ooh and aaah about the OC, Palin, Spears, etc. & Brad Pitts kids.

Seriously. This happened on MSN when they found people were clicking on entertainment news a lot. So they moved the links & stories to make these more prominent over global news. Then people complained that they wanted to see global news first. But what happened when they made that change? Everyone clicks on Britney Spears. So Americans like to believe they're interested in global news, but what they click on is entertainment news.

[Scootch]

ignorance is the opium of the masses....the blind will follow like sheep. Tai bang le, tongxue!

[TD-1536]

...But do we want to become like the wolverines then and fight a fight you can't win..

Actually... yes.

We preemptively attacked Iraq and have been saber rattling with Iran and North Korea... why is it not believable that other countries like South America and Russia might preemptively attack the US? I hope I'm wrong, but the news (if reported correct) is telling us otherwise.

If that indeed happened, yes, I would fight them Gorilla style just like in Red Dawn and I'm sure many Americans would as well. What those other countries might've forgotten is that Americans are very well armed. We might certainly get killed, but I'll be damned if I sit idle while invading forces march across my lawn.

[dutchy]

People have been imaging it for a loooong time. People would rather ooh and aaah about the OC, Palin, Spears, etc. & Brad Pitts kids.

It seems that the people can't put things in perspective anymore and think that the( or their) world will end when another popstar quits his career or their favourite serie stops. The real news is as Deatrin says being put on the background and being ignored or marked as not important.

We are apparently living in a world where the real values in life are being overwhelmed by our own created "consuming behaviour". That is disturbing.

Looks like we lost track somewhere...but this is what is being fed to people around the globe.

[dutchy]

Actually... yes.

We preemptively attacked Iraq and have been saber rattling with Iran and North Korea... why is it not believable that other countries like South America and Russia might preemptively attack the US? I hope I'm wrong, but the news (if reported correct) is telling us otherwise.

If that indeed happened, yes, I would fight them Gorilla style just like in Red Dawn and I'm sure many Americans would as well. What those other countries might've forgotten is that Americans are very well armed. We might certainly get killed, but I'll be damned if I sit idle while invading forces march across my lawn.

If you would just sit idle when foreign troops are marching through your streets or across your lawn, you should be hanged. I myself am the american people very grateful for the sacrifice they've made for the whole of Europe, otherwise we all be talking russian.

But a new cold war is uphand apparently, let's hope that it stays with that and thet there will be no escalations of any kind. IMHO they should put all the nutcrackers that call themselves wordleaders in a 40ft container and have it blown up. But the downside is that there are enough fruitcakes on this planet that think that they can do a better job than the current top brass.

[Scootch]

Yep they're a dime a dozen.

[Daetrin]

LOL - the new cold war is going on now. People just don't want to believe.

Anyone who deals with primary metals or energy is certainly aware of China & India's exploding influence in this area. While the US is occupying Iraq with no resource return (e.g. no guarantee of oil), they're going out and getting deals done. Same with cyberwarfare. You really wouldn't believe how many attacks are going on right now. Honestly, I think people just want to stay ignorant.

[dutchy]

Honestly, I think people just want to stay ignorant.

What was the expression again...

Ignorance is bliss

[TD-1536]

...Same with cyberwarfare. You really wouldn't believe how many attacks are going on right now. Honestly, I think people just want to stay ignorant.

Cyberwarfare is big concern. When Georgia was attacked by Russia a few months ago, at the same time their entire online government infrastructure was defaced and brought down by the Russians. They totally deny it, but it's obvious who did it.

the US government and Dept. of Defense has already admitted to daily hack attempts. Imagine if an invading force attacked our banking infrastructure, disrupted all online commerce... how would you get your money out of the bank!? How would bills get paid, etc.? These are serious concerns.

[Daetrin]

Daily - yes in the thousands. I mean thousands of attacks on a daily basis. I was pretty surprised, but when you talk to IT security folks in the DOD it's pretty amazing what they deal with.

[whitecommando]

I was talking with a friend, and that movie that came out in the 80's, Red Dawn, could be re-made. And I will put all of this out there as hypothetical. The big change would be a Chinese invasion, versus a Russian/Cuban invasion.

And don't get offended when I mention this... but what if the Chinese were to send an enormous task force to the Western Canadian coastline, and once parked there, and debarking for assault, they promise the Canadians "No problems for you if you let us dock in Vancouver for a southern and eastern attack on the United States" and the Chinese directly assault Alaska with a 3rd task force.

Read about the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative (and if you follow the link, you will see a spooky map – strait shot to the Baja peninsula and strait shot to the Great Lakes...

http://www.investincanada.gc.ca/en/advanta...eway/apgci.aspx

On that link, you can see the free access for the Chinese negotiated by the Canadians in October 2006.

Now, imagine three million-men Chinese armies marching on the USA. First Army travels south through Washington State, Oregon, on towards California. Second Army marches due East in Canadian territory to the Great Lakes, and a Third Army takes Alaska and the all of the oil. Also, Chinese Navy attack submarines hunting our Carrier Task Forces to eliminate the threat of retaliatory air strikes.

Who do you think would exploit this opportunity? The Russians. They would see that we are stretched thin, attack our forces in Iraq (with support from the anti-American militias) – this would tie up any return of American Forces to defend the mainland... as well as a coordinated Naval and Airborne attacks on the Eastern United States, and Gulf States – most likely hitting refineries in South Texas, ports in New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama, and attacking the Naval Reserve base at Pensacola.

So, there is some stuff that could happen. Could it now? The Chinese Navy is not ready, nor is their air force. Will they be ready in the near future? Almost surely. And the way this could occur is if less cool heads prevail in the near future... American and Chinese and Russian. Reference George W. Bush, Hu Jintao, and Vladimir Putin.

Who will be in charge in 8 years?

Sprinkle in some Iranian stuff (Nukes and technology) to make this scenario more spooky. As Mike said... Like World War III bad.

I just read another news blog about the South American/Russian alliance... this could be really bad... like WWIII Bad. Why is the news not reporting this!? Anyone remember the movie Red Dawn?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/14/23.../344/986/599054

[TD-1536]

well... there's always that Dec. 21st 2012 date to look forward to.

[whitecommando]

True, true.

Does it matter if we stockpile MREs, Weapons, and water? Or is that just wasting time?

well... there's always that Dec. 21st 2012 date to look forward to.

[TD2802]

Personally I don't think a Chinese invasion would be in their best interest to put it mildly. If they wanted to bring us to our knees, they would just have to stop buying treasury bonds and financing our national debt and by extrapolation, bankrolling our overseas military adventures. Its cheaper to bankrupt us and sow internal economic crises than invasion. But that would be stupid too because they need our markets. Most of the stuff at Wallyworld is MIC which makes it an extension of their Ministry of Trade and Economics.

True, the average citizen pays more attention to what the celebs are wearing than what's happening in some hellhole the other side of the world. Nothing will alter that as long as corporate media profits from meeting prurient demand. The recent shakeup in the financial world however should be getting their attention because it may not be as sexy as cyberhacking or foreign invasion but has an immediate negative effect on their pocketbooks. More preciseley, the banks stop gap reaction will be tighter credit and the potential for higher interest rates. Its gonna get a lot harder to borrow money folks and in short, any vested funds to feather your retirment are going to get hammered. Translation: you'll probably be working well past retirement to stay afloat if you haven't invested in any hedge funds or socked any disposable income away in high interest savings plans which should be immune to market downturns. The market will rebound, as it always does but you'll just have to postpone getting that retirement condo in the Poconos a little longer. Another sad irony behind all this is that if you conscientiously maintained your index funds as in a 401k, the current market has practically devalued them to a point of an entry level noob's portfolio.

See, the problem with our society is instant gratification conditioned by years of material consumerism. People don't plan long term and unless they're self-employed, they don't make efforts to pay themself first through wise financial planning. Instead the mentality is everything on credit because we want it NOW. Witness the subprime fiasco and how banks got too greedy and arrogant cynically playing on that mentality and enabling people to live beyond their means.

In the legion, I've lost count how many times some guy has to sell all his armor or swag to pay the bills. As much as I love this hobby, there are some cold real world realities that should take priority.

If you're not worried, than I envy your optimism. But as an old Russian saying goes, 'All the optimists ended up in labor camps'. IOW, they never see it coming.

[TD-1536]

True, true.

Does it matter if we stockpile MREs, Weapons, and water? Or is that just wasting time?

I usually stockpile those things on principle. But with things looking worse and worse every day, my guess is that the icing on the cake would be the eruption of the Yellowstone caldera and subsequent annihilation of the US and world economy. That would be enough destruction for mankind to "reboot" and do things right going forward. Just crazy speculation of course, but it's something to think about.

[Daetrin]

Yup. War is expensive (how much is ours costing so far?). China has never been an expansionary military power - they prefer to control trade. I don't think the US will ever been invaded - we're simply too big. On the other hand as Brian says - we can easily be controlled financially. But of course, this is our choice too - every time we buy something.

[TD-1536]

.

...you'll probably be working well past retirement to stay afloat if you haven't invested in any hedge funds or socked any disposable income away in high interest savings plans which should be immune to market downturns. The market will rebound, as it always does but you'll just have to postpone getting that retirement condo in the Poconos a little longer. Another sad irony behind all this is that if you conscientiously maintained your index funds as in a 401k, the current market has practically devalued them to a point of an entry level noob's portfolio.

See, the problem with our society is instant gratification conditioned by years of material consumerism. People don't plan long term and unless they're self-employed, they don't make efforts to pay themself first through wise financial planning. Instead the mentality is everything on credit because we want it NOW. Witness the subprime fiasco and how banks got too greedy and arrogant cynically playing on that mentality and enabling people to live beyond their means.

In the legion, I've lost count how many times some guy has to sell all his armor or swag to pay the bills. As much as I love this hobby, there are some cold real world realities that should take priority.

If you're not worried, than I envy your optimism. But as an old Russian saying goes, 'All the optimists ended up in labor camps'. IOW, they never see it coming.

Excellent advice.

I started saving for retirement ten years ago, at the age of 24, starting with a Roth IRA. I also started a 401k, a high interest savings account, College Savings Plan (for my niece, but I'm the custodian), and even gold bullion to have my hand in commodities.

Making financial plans like these, in hind sight I could've done much sooner but as you said, there is so much crap to spend money on and with credit cards being handed out like candy, I've certainly squandered my fair share of money. But, you must pay yourself first - start small every pay period and leave it alone. Start saving as early as possible because when you retire, the Government may not be there to help you. I don't intend to be one of those old folks greeting people at Wal Mart.

Then again, who knows what will happen in the next four years. My gut tells me it will be unprecedented.