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	<title>Comments on: Masters of Defeat: Retreating Empire and Bellicose Bluster</title>
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	<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/</link>
	<description>a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice</description>
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		<item>
		<title>By: Max Shields</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28311</link>
		<dc:creator>Max Shields</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:11:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28311</guid>
		<description>db yea</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>db yea</p>
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		<title>By: Deadbeat</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28310</link>
		<dc:creator>Deadbeat</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:58:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28310</guid>
		<description>So you do believe that the U.S. is at war in the the Middle East to conquer North Dakota and the Gulf of Mexico.  

It&#039;s not history that you need to get a grip on Max.  It is your desire to conceal the racist ideology of Zionism.  You and Chomsky are two peas in a pod.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>So you do believe that the U.S. is at war in the the Middle East to conquer North Dakota and the Gulf of Mexico.  </p>
<p>It&#8217;s not history that you need to get a grip on Max.  It is your desire to conceal the racist ideology of Zionism.  You and Chomsky are two peas in a pod.</p>
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		<title>By: Max Shields</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28308</link>
		<dc:creator>Max Shields</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:44:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28308</guid>
		<description>Who says we haven&#039;t been at &quot;war&quot; in Central and South America? I suppose all those years of overt and covert operations (not to mention the actions in South America right now) was to take over the ME.

As I said, mindless chatter there Deadbeat.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Who says we haven&#8217;t been at &#8220;war&#8221; in Central and South America? I suppose all those years of overt and covert operations (not to mention the actions in South America right now) was to take over the ME.</p>
<p>As I said, mindless chatter there Deadbeat.</p>
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		<title>By: Deadbeat</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28307</link>
		<dc:creator>Deadbeat</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:09:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28307</guid>
		<description>Max says...
&lt;i&gt;Deadbeat, when I present this historical (rather than your ahistorical) argument, the response (more specifically, yours) is that I’m obscuring the real cause - zionism. That kind of pseudo-argument is a non­sequetor and begs the real question of logic. It’s a form of mindless name-calling.&lt;/i&gt;

Yeah Max the reason why the U.S. is at war in the Middle East is to take Gulf of Mexico.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Max says&#8230;<br />
<i>Deadbeat, when I present this historical (rather than your ahistorical) argument, the response (more specifically, yours) is that I’m obscuring the real cause &#8211; zionism. That kind of pseudo-argument is a non­sequetor and begs the real question of logic. It’s a form of mindless name-calling.</i></p>
<p>Yeah Max the reason why the U.S. is at war in the Middle East is to take Gulf of Mexico.</p>
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		<title>By: Shabnam</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28306</link>
		<dc:creator>Shabnam</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:43:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28306</guid>
		<description>Professor Petras: 
Thank you for your work informing the international community on Zionism and the influence of its destructive forces on our societies.  I agree with you when you write: 
“By pursuing the Israeli-US Zionist agenda of sequential wars and sanctions against oil-rich Muslim countries, Washington has lost access, control and profits to global economic competitors in a strategic region.”
The US has committed itself to Zionist’s strategic plan, not to allow Iran to have enrichment program for its fuel which is IRAN’S RIGHT.  This plan is perused  not only by manipulation of American political and military system but also in collusion with Russia where Russia has strengthen her position at the bargaining table due to US economic downfall, engagement in Zionist war and lack of credibility. Shell Company has shown its eagerness to participate in Iran’s oil and gas investment program under ‘cooperation in production’ since the Iranian constitution does not allow a foreign company to have control over the oil wells, yet Shell has not been able to participate despite its eagerness to do so.  On the other hand, some people speculate that due to Zionist economic pressure, through economic sanction,  which increases the risks involved, therefore,  some people think the companies, like Shell, will use the manufactured  ‘crisis’ to ask for a better concession through agreements for a longer periods at a bargain prices to maximize profits.  Shell Oil Company has started his activities since 1996 in Iran. Shell Company was active during the Shah but stopped due to the Iranian revolution in 1979. Shell has a bad image in the Iranian collective memory.  Thus far, Shell has not finalized any agreement with the Iranian government in Iran due to Zionist economic sanction forced by the Zionist puppet George Bush and before him Bill Clinton where both have provided golden opportunities for US adversaries, Russia and China by isolating Iran as the MAIN ENEMY.  The collusion between Zionists and Russians has paid high returns for both Israel and Russia against the interest of the United States yet the foolish president, George Bush, does not understand that a weak Iran is not good for the interest of the United States. Iran&#039;s oil minister, Gholam Hossein Nozari, has been losing patience with Shell - and Total of France - over deals to develop phases 11 and 13 of the huge South Pars field, and has given  an ultimatum that Shell must  commit itself to developing a $10bn gas field soon or risk the project being handed over to a rival. Officials in Iran said negotiations with a number of Asian companies had already started and that they were likely to replace Shell and Total if the two continued to prevaricate. There has already been speculation that Gazprom of Russia is keen to strike a deal, while Sinopec of China has signed a $2bn contract to develop the Yadavaran oilfield due to the Zionist plan of waging wars for ‘regime change.’   Iran does not want to engage in oil and gas project with Russia.  Russia has been cooperating with the West against Iran by postponing the completion of the Bushehr reactor for the last 8 years.  But if Bush continues his Zionist policy Iran might strike a deal with the US adversary, Russia. Meanwhile, the Iraqi government has approved Royal Dutch Shell&#039;s Iraq Gas Master Plan, paving the way for the firm to invest some $3-4 billion in natural gas in the southern part of the country. Shell will establish a joint-venture company with Iraq&#039;s state-owned South Oil Company (SOC) to execute the gathering, treatment, and monetization operation. SOC will hold a 51% majority stake, while Shell will hold 49%.  This kind of agreement could have achieved long time ago without waging a Zionist war to kill more than 1.2 million people, majorities are civilian, to force 5 millions Iraqis out of their country as refugees and rape and torture innocent people in Abu Gharib and else where to partition the country to create an ally for Israel against Arabs and Iranians to increase Israel influence and power in the region.
The oil companies were willing to do the same without a Zionist war, but the gatekeepers insist on ‘No Blood for oil’.  The oil companies do not give a damn for ‘regime change’ or Iran’s enrichment program which is LEGAL.  Iran’s enrichment program does not concern Americans who are not a Zionist puppet either, such as Gen. William Odem but it is important to Israel and Russia for the same reason, hegemony and expansion of power.
However, I disagree with you when you write:
“In Georgia, as elsewhere, US military-centered empire building gives priority to a failed marginal land grab by a third rate client over lucrative strategic economic and military relations with one of the world’s global oil and gas powers and a crucial collaborator in its ongoing military operation in the Middle East.”

This war most likely came as a result of collusion between Israel and Russia to satisfy each other strategic needs, by sacrificing Georgia and its naive ‘leader’ Saakashvili.  They know the US is not in a position to start a war with Russia over tiny Georgia.  Having so many Zionist leader in major Western capitals, they are confident that finally the Georgian ‘crisis’ will end with a victory for both Russia and Israel dumping Saakashvili for another ‘leader’ who is acceptable to both Russia and the west.  In return Russia will CONTINUE its cooperation with the west against Iran to strengthen Israel position against both Arab and Iranians.  Russia like Israel wants a weak Iran and does not want Iran to have an enrichment program which is Iran’s LEGAL RIGHT according to NPT in which Iran is a signatory and ISRAEL IN NOT.  Due to Zionist war which has strengthen Russian position against the United States, Russia can demand better concession from the United States for her cooperation on Iran which is her own policy since in Russia the Zionists are not in the driving seat yet despite the fact that Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president is from Jewish descent.  As you have noticed, Russia never mentions ISRAEL by name in her complain against Georgia but only the United States, which did not have an interest to wage a war against Russia, and Patrick Buchanan called those who are responsible for this pro Zionist policy ‘traitors.’
According to Spiegel Online International on war in the Caucasus:

 “[T]he mood is shifting against Georgian President Saakashvili. Some Western intelligence reports have undermined Tbilisi&#039;s version of events, and there are now calls on both sides of the Atlantic for an independent investigation.”
One thing is already clear to the officers at NATO headquarters in Brussels: They thought that the Georgians had started the conflict and that their actions were more calculated than pure self-defense or a response to Russian provocation. The NATO experts did not question the Georgian claim that the Russians had provoked them by sending their troops through the Roki Tunnel. But their evaluation of the facts was dominated by skepticism that these were the true reasons for Saakashvili&#039;s actions.  Saakashvili, a dictator and naïve ruler of Tbilisi, is following the shift in opinions in the West with growing unease. He is no longer confident in his allies&#039; support and this case could even be used to threaten him with referral of his case to the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague to either silence him or sacrifice him for his trust in Zionist advisors.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Professor Petras:<br />
Thank you for your work informing the international community on Zionism and the influence of its destructive forces on our societies.  I agree with you when you write:<br />
“By pursuing the Israeli-US Zionist agenda of sequential wars and sanctions against oil-rich Muslim countries, Washington has lost access, control and profits to global economic competitors in a strategic region.”<br />
The US has committed itself to Zionist’s strategic plan, not to allow Iran to have enrichment program for its fuel which is IRAN’S RIGHT.  This plan is perused  not only by manipulation of American political and military system but also in collusion with Russia where Russia has strengthen her position at the bargaining table due to US economic downfall, engagement in Zionist war and lack of credibility. Shell Company has shown its eagerness to participate in Iran’s oil and gas investment program under ‘cooperation in production’ since the Iranian constitution does not allow a foreign company to have control over the oil wells, yet Shell has not been able to participate despite its eagerness to do so.  On the other hand, some people speculate that due to Zionist economic pressure, through economic sanction,  which increases the risks involved, therefore,  some people think the companies, like Shell, will use the manufactured  ‘crisis’ to ask for a better concession through agreements for a longer periods at a bargain prices to maximize profits.  Shell Oil Company has started his activities since 1996 in Iran. Shell Company was active during the Shah but stopped due to the Iranian revolution in 1979. Shell has a bad image in the Iranian collective memory.  Thus far, Shell has not finalized any agreement with the Iranian government in Iran due to Zionist economic sanction forced by the Zionist puppet George Bush and before him Bill Clinton where both have provided golden opportunities for US adversaries, Russia and China by isolating Iran as the MAIN ENEMY.  The collusion between Zionists and Russians has paid high returns for both Israel and Russia against the interest of the United States yet the foolish president, George Bush, does not understand that a weak Iran is not good for the interest of the United States. Iran&#8217;s oil minister, Gholam Hossein Nozari, has been losing patience with Shell &#8211; and Total of France &#8211; over deals to develop phases 11 and 13 of the huge South Pars field, and has given  an ultimatum that Shell must  commit itself to developing a $10bn gas field soon or risk the project being handed over to a rival. Officials in Iran said negotiations with a number of Asian companies had already started and that they were likely to replace Shell and Total if the two continued to prevaricate. There has already been speculation that Gazprom of Russia is keen to strike a deal, while Sinopec of China has signed a $2bn contract to develop the Yadavaran oilfield due to the Zionist plan of waging wars for ‘regime change.’   Iran does not want to engage in oil and gas project with Russia.  Russia has been cooperating with the West against Iran by postponing the completion of the Bushehr reactor for the last 8 years.  But if Bush continues his Zionist policy Iran might strike a deal with the US adversary, Russia. Meanwhile, the Iraqi government has approved Royal Dutch Shell&#8217;s Iraq Gas Master Plan, paving the way for the firm to invest some $3-4 billion in natural gas in the southern part of the country. Shell will establish a joint-venture company with Iraq&#8217;s state-owned South Oil Company (SOC) to execute the gathering, treatment, and monetization operation. SOC will hold a 51% majority stake, while Shell will hold 49%.  This kind of agreement could have achieved long time ago without waging a Zionist war to kill more than 1.2 million people, majorities are civilian, to force 5 millions Iraqis out of their country as refugees and rape and torture innocent people in Abu Gharib and else where to partition the country to create an ally for Israel against Arabs and Iranians to increase Israel influence and power in the region.<br />
The oil companies were willing to do the same without a Zionist war, but the gatekeepers insist on ‘No Blood for oil’.  The oil companies do not give a damn for ‘regime change’ or Iran’s enrichment program which is LEGAL.  Iran’s enrichment program does not concern Americans who are not a Zionist puppet either, such as Gen. William Odem but it is important to Israel and Russia for the same reason, hegemony and expansion of power.<br />
However, I disagree with you when you write:<br />
“In Georgia, as elsewhere, US military-centered empire building gives priority to a failed marginal land grab by a third rate client over lucrative strategic economic and military relations with one of the world’s global oil and gas powers and a crucial collaborator in its ongoing military operation in the Middle East.”</p>
<p>This war most likely came as a result of collusion between Israel and Russia to satisfy each other strategic needs, by sacrificing Georgia and its naive ‘leader’ Saakashvili.  They know the US is not in a position to start a war with Russia over tiny Georgia.  Having so many Zionist leader in major Western capitals, they are confident that finally the Georgian ‘crisis’ will end with a victory for both Russia and Israel dumping Saakashvili for another ‘leader’ who is acceptable to both Russia and the west.  In return Russia will CONTINUE its cooperation with the west against Iran to strengthen Israel position against both Arab and Iranians.  Russia like Israel wants a weak Iran and does not want Iran to have an enrichment program which is Iran’s LEGAL RIGHT according to NPT in which Iran is a signatory and ISRAEL IN NOT.  Due to Zionist war which has strengthen Russian position against the United States, Russia can demand better concession from the United States for her cooperation on Iran which is her own policy since in Russia the Zionists are not in the driving seat yet despite the fact that Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president is from Jewish descent.  As you have noticed, Russia never mentions ISRAEL by name in her complain against Georgia but only the United States, which did not have an interest to wage a war against Russia, and Patrick Buchanan called those who are responsible for this pro Zionist policy ‘traitors.’<br />
According to Spiegel Online International on war in the Caucasus:</p>
<p> “[T]he mood is shifting against Georgian President Saakashvili. Some Western intelligence reports have undermined Tbilisi&#8217;s version of events, and there are now calls on both sides of the Atlantic for an independent investigation.”<br />
One thing is already clear to the officers at NATO headquarters in Brussels: They thought that the Georgians had started the conflict and that their actions were more calculated than pure self-defense or a response to Russian provocation. The NATO experts did not question the Georgian claim that the Russians had provoked them by sending their troops through the Roki Tunnel. But their evaluation of the facts was dominated by skepticism that these were the true reasons for Saakashvili&#8217;s actions.  Saakashvili, a dictator and naïve ruler of Tbilisi, is following the shift in opinions in the West with growing unease. He is no longer confident in his allies&#8217; support and this case could even be used to threaten him with referral of his case to the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague to either silence him or sacrifice him for his trust in Zionist advisors.</p>
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		<title>By: Deadbeat</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28282</link>
		<dc:creator>Deadbeat</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:41:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28282</guid>
		<description>DanE writes...

&lt;i&gt;All the silly arguments [Max Shields] raises have been refuted with documentation ad infinitum not only by Dr Petras but also by Grant Smith, the Christisons, Jeff Blankfort and many others including Walt &amp; Mearsheimer.&lt;/i&gt;

EXACTLY.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>DanE writes&#8230;</p>
<p><i>All the silly arguments [Max Shields] raises have been refuted with documentation ad infinitum not only by Dr Petras but also by Grant Smith, the Christisons, Jeff Blankfort and many others including Walt &amp; Mearsheimer.</i></p>
<p>EXACTLY.</p>
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		<title>By: Lloyd Rowsey</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28266</link>
		<dc:creator>Lloyd Rowsey</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:51:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28266</guid>
		<description>I agree with Max Shields and am delighted to sample the comments column at DV and find, right off the bat, his penetrating, succinct, and highly enlightening reporting from Europe.  

That&#039;s &quot;DanE&quot; - Max - not &quot;Dane&quot;.

:-)</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I agree with Max Shields and am delighted to sample the comments column at DV and find, right off the bat, his penetrating, succinct, and highly enlightening reporting from Europe.  </p>
<p>That&#8217;s &#8220;DanE&#8221; &#8211; Max &#8211; not &#8220;Dane&#8221;.</p>
<p>:-)</p>
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		<title>By: Max Shields</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28248</link>
		<dc:creator>Max Shields</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:09:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28248</guid>
		<description>dane, I think your rock awaits your return.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>dane, I think your rock awaits your return.</p>
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		<title>By: DanE</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28242</link>
		<dc:creator>DanE</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:31:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28242</guid>
		<description>Apologies to all for having said a kind word about Max Shields the other day. When push comes to shove all these Ziofascist snowjob artists turn out the same. No matter what they might have right about this or that secondary issue or question, in the end they are dead wrong about the central issue of our time: what to do about the US Jewish Establishment which now places its role as Israeli 5th Column before its own interests. 

All the silly arguments he raises have been refuted with documentation ad infinitum not only by Dr Petras but also by Grant Smith, the Christisons, Jeff Blankfort and many others including Walt &amp; Mearsheimer. 

But why should the reader believe me? I&#039;m not trying to change anyone&#039;s mind, but if you&#039;re at all uncertain about Max &amp; his nonsense, why not check out the 12part analysis published here on DV by Co-editor Kim Peterson and his colleague a few months ago? 

Or maybe just take note that everybody from Obama to the NYT talks about Big Oil like a dog these days, but nobody says shit about Big Jewry. Nobody but Petras, Kim, Deadbeat &amp; a few others. Look at the trouble that flaming radical Jimmy Carter got into for noticing Apartheid in the 1967-conquered Occupied Territories: first time a former Dem Pty Pres of the US has been prevented from addressing the Dem Pty convention. Hehe, guess he must have offended Big Oil, right?</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Apologies to all for having said a kind word about Max Shields the other day. When push comes to shove all these Ziofascist snowjob artists turn out the same. No matter what they might have right about this or that secondary issue or question, in the end they are dead wrong about the central issue of our time: what to do about the US Jewish Establishment which now places its role as Israeli 5th Column before its own interests. </p>
<p>All the silly arguments he raises have been refuted with documentation ad infinitum not only by Dr Petras but also by Grant Smith, the Christisons, Jeff Blankfort and many others including Walt &amp; Mearsheimer. </p>
<p>But why should the reader believe me? I&#8217;m not trying to change anyone&#8217;s mind, but if you&#8217;re at all uncertain about Max &amp; his nonsense, why not check out the 12part analysis published here on DV by Co-editor Kim Peterson and his colleague a few months ago? </p>
<p>Or maybe just take note that everybody from Obama to the NYT talks about Big Oil like a dog these days, but nobody says shit about Big Jewry. Nobody but Petras, Kim, Deadbeat &amp; a few others. Look at the trouble that flaming radical Jimmy Carter got into for noticing Apartheid in the 1967-conquered Occupied Territories: first time a former Dem Pty Pres of the US has been prevented from addressing the Dem Pty convention. Hehe, guess he must have offended Big Oil, right?</p>
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		<title>By: Max Shields</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28221</link>
		<dc:creator>Max Shields</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:45:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28221</guid>
		<description>Deadbeat, I&#039;ve answered this repeated, and tired point elsewhere, but will briefly offer it here.

Those bent on seeing the centuries old imperialism of America as a Zionist creation always begin to look at the economic cost/benefits and say how else could the elite brain trust of America be so foolish as to deplete its coffers for an adventure in the Middle East if not for some reason other than imperialism (what about Vietnam, for starters)? Ah, zionism, comes the ready made reply.

Preditory corporate capitalism is not a purely rational creature. Also, it does not always play the &quot;sure thing&quot; card. In other words, no one likes to lose but lose from time we do. Remember the concentration of wealth continues to flow in the same direction, DB - many, many have become billionaires on this uneconomic war in the ME.

My argument to Petras and those who follow his line of argument, is that imperialism is not and has never been a purely rational &quot;mind-set&quot;, in fact, within it, allowed to grow and fester as it has in the Western/US brand, it is quite pathological. Pathological behavior defies cost/benefit analysis. Again the rationle is you win some, you lose some. But empires, historically, have been consistent in over-reach and self-created demise. The &quot;seeds of destruction&quot; lie within imperialism itself.

Deadbeat, when I present this historical (rather than your ahistorical) argument, the response (more specifically, yours) is that I&#039;m obscuring the real cause - zionism. That kind of pseudo-argument is a non­sequetor and begs the real question of logic. It&#039;s a form of mindless name-calling.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Deadbeat, I&#8217;ve answered this repeated, and tired point elsewhere, but will briefly offer it here.</p>
<p>Those bent on seeing the centuries old imperialism of America as a Zionist creation always begin to look at the economic cost/benefits and say how else could the elite brain trust of America be so foolish as to deplete its coffers for an adventure in the Middle East if not for some reason other than imperialism (what about Vietnam, for starters)? Ah, zionism, comes the ready made reply.</p>
<p>Preditory corporate capitalism is not a purely rational creature. Also, it does not always play the &#8220;sure thing&#8221; card. In other words, no one likes to lose but lose from time we do. Remember the concentration of wealth continues to flow in the same direction, DB &#8211; many, many have become billionaires on this uneconomic war in the ME.</p>
<p>My argument to Petras and those who follow his line of argument, is that imperialism is not and has never been a purely rational &#8220;mind-set&#8221;, in fact, within it, allowed to grow and fester as it has in the Western/US brand, it is quite pathological. Pathological behavior defies cost/benefit analysis. Again the rationle is you win some, you lose some. But empires, historically, have been consistent in over-reach and self-created demise. The &#8220;seeds of destruction&#8221; lie within imperialism itself.</p>
<p>Deadbeat, when I present this historical (rather than your ahistorical) argument, the response (more specifically, yours) is that I&#8217;m obscuring the real cause &#8211; zionism. That kind of pseudo-argument is a non­sequetor and begs the real question of logic. It&#8217;s a form of mindless name-calling.</p>
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		<title>By: Deadbeat</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28213</link>
		<dc:creator>Deadbeat</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:30:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28213</guid>
		<description>Where&#039;s Max Shields? I means how can he allow such commentary by Dr. Petras to go unchallenged when he asserts something like this...

&lt;i&gt;By pursuing the Israeli-US Zionist agenda of sequential wars and sanctions against oil-rich Muslim countries, Washington has lost access, control and profits to global economic competitors in a strategic region.&lt;/i&gt;

This is why the term &quot;imperialism&quot; is meaningless when applied to the Iraq occupation.  I&#039;ve never seen an &quot;Imperialist&quot; invasion where Washington lost access, control, profits, and resources.  On the other hand it was a great gain for Israel and US. Zionism.  And where was the &quot;Left&quot; -- diffusing, distorting, and obfuscating.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Where&#8217;s Max Shields? I means how can he allow such commentary by Dr. Petras to go unchallenged when he asserts something like this&#8230;</p>
<p><i>By pursuing the Israeli-US Zionist agenda of sequential wars and sanctions against oil-rich Muslim countries, Washington has lost access, control and profits to global economic competitors in a strategic region.</i></p>
<p>This is why the term &#8220;imperialism&#8221; is meaningless when applied to the Iraq occupation.  I&#8217;ve never seen an &#8220;Imperialist&#8221; invasion where Washington lost access, control, profits, and resources.  On the other hand it was a great gain for Israel and US. Zionism.  And where was the &#8220;Left&#8221; &#8212; diffusing, distorting, and obfuscating.</p>
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		<title>By: Peter</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28208</link>
		<dc:creator>Peter</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Sep 2008 03:18:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28208</guid>
		<description>I agree with Michael (above). I think the EU&#039;s role in dismantling the imperial system should be absolutely central. It is the region with the most mature democratic institutions and it should lead, not follow. However, it&#039;s almost as if Europe is afraid of challenging the US&#039; dominance - as if they&#039;re thinking to themselves &quot;yeah, but who&#039;s going to protect us if things get rough?&quot; No doubt, the US political establishment enjoys fanning such fears - it seems that the latest Russian/Georgian adventure is but one attempt to drive a wedge between Russia and the EU, for example. The fact that the negotiations were handled by openly pro-Bush European, Sarkozy, did not help.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I agree with Michael (above). I think the EU&#8217;s role in dismantling the imperial system should be absolutely central. It is the region with the most mature democratic institutions and it should lead, not follow. However, it&#8217;s almost as if Europe is afraid of challenging the US&#8217; dominance &#8211; as if they&#8217;re thinking to themselves &#8220;yeah, but who&#8217;s going to protect us if things get rough?&#8221; No doubt, the US political establishment enjoys fanning such fears &#8211; it seems that the latest Russian/Georgian adventure is but one attempt to drive a wedge between Russia and the EU, for example. The fact that the negotiations were handled by openly pro-Bush European, Sarkozy, did not help.</p>
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		<title>By: Michael Kenny</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28188</link>
		<dc:creator>Michael Kenny</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:52:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28188</guid>
		<description>Two small points. I don&#039;t think the Georgian fiasco will in any way limit the EU. Georgian membership is fairly far down the road in any event and by that time, Russia itself, or many of its components, will also be a realistic candidate for EU membership. Politically, the EU is the big winner in Georgia. The US is discredited as an &quot;ally&quot;, US policy in Kosovo is discredited, NATO is discredited as an alliance, Russia has placed the EU in the forefront of the peace process and the typically belligerent US reaction has driven a further wedge between it and Europe, where public opinion is totally hostile to war, whether cold or hot.

My second point is the sequel to the above. Professor Petras  makes a sort of world tour, but mentions the rest of Europe only in passing. However, Europe has been the undoing of the neocons. They knew the US hadn&#039;t the power to do what they wanted on its own but they assumed, wrongly, that Europe was in the their pockets and would just follow the American lead. They were genuinely surprised and shocked when they discovered that they were wrong and then proceeded to make matters worse by launching a campaign of abuse against Europe which, of course, further alienated Europeans, whose opinion of Americans was very low anyway. The US didn&#039;t support Saakashvili because they knew (and the Russians knew) that Europe wouldn&#039;t join them. Saakashvili, led around by the nose by his Israeli extremist handlers, was probably the only leader in Europe who didn&#039;t know that!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Two small points. I don&#8217;t think the Georgian fiasco will in any way limit the EU. Georgian membership is fairly far down the road in any event and by that time, Russia itself, or many of its components, will also be a realistic candidate for EU membership. Politically, the EU is the big winner in Georgia. The US is discredited as an &#8220;ally&#8221;, US policy in Kosovo is discredited, NATO is discredited as an alliance, Russia has placed the EU in the forefront of the peace process and the typically belligerent US reaction has driven a further wedge between it and Europe, where public opinion is totally hostile to war, whether cold or hot.</p>
<p>My second point is the sequel to the above. Professor Petras  makes a sort of world tour, but mentions the rest of Europe only in passing. However, Europe has been the undoing of the neocons. They knew the US hadn&#8217;t the power to do what they wanted on its own but they assumed, wrongly, that Europe was in the their pockets and would just follow the American lead. They were genuinely surprised and shocked when they discovered that they were wrong and then proceeded to make matters worse by launching a campaign of abuse against Europe which, of course, further alienated Europeans, whose opinion of Americans was very low anyway. The US didn&#8217;t support Saakashvili because they knew (and the Russians knew) that Europe wouldn&#8217;t join them. Saakashvili, led around by the nose by his Israeli extremist handlers, was probably the only leader in Europe who didn&#8217;t know that!</p>
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		<title>By: Socialism:  Next Stage in Political Systems.  Socialism will come to USA wether capitalists like it or not !!</title>
		<link>http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/masters-of-defeat-retreating-empire-and-bellicose-bluster/#comment-28181</link>
		<dc:creator>Socialism:  Next Stage in Political Systems.  Socialism will come to USA wether capitalists like it or not !!</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2008 04:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3101#comment-28181</guid>
		<description>I was reading last week that because Russia is so spread out and has so few real targets, The U.S. would be the loser in a nuclear war. The U.S. might hit Moscow, ST. Petersburg, and a few other cities.. other than that there is just mostly Forrest with no people.. The U.S. has hundreds of cities, and millions of people that are involved in the war machine.

After the lights go out and the internet is dead.. Who will be the winner of this war will not be debatable, because truth will be sacrificed, as in all wars.

The lights will go out and the internet will die, in the first few seconds of WWIII.. Hundres of megatons at 100,000 feet, will wipe out all electricity , and fry the microcircuty of the computers World wide..

A new dark age will come upon us, with not only the nukes but the latest in Bio,and Chem.. Billions will die.. Just the way the Rothschilds like it... More death.

And at the end of it all they hand the world over to a bunch of aliens who they have been channeling for hundreds of years. These aliens gave them the power, because the occult is how to communicate with THEM. The Aliens looked at this world and realized that the most ruthless, are the survivors on this planet.. So they picked the Ashkenazi race to be their embassitors.. The Askenazi swiped the religion of Judaism, and turned it into a reason to swipe the M.E Oil, that is soon to be headed to Israel. Israel will be the place where humankind interfaces with The Others.

We have been taken over by aliens, takes on a whole new meaning when you realize that they are not of this solar system.

like Si- Fi.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I was reading last week that because Russia is so spread out and has so few real targets, The U.S. would be the loser in a nuclear war. The U.S. might hit Moscow, ST. Petersburg, and a few other cities.. other than that there is just mostly Forrest with no people.. The U.S. has hundreds of cities, and millions of people that are involved in the war machine.</p>
<p>After the lights go out and the internet is dead.. Who will be the winner of this war will not be debatable, because truth will be sacrificed, as in all wars.</p>
<p>The lights will go out and the internet will die, in the first few seconds of WWIII.. Hundres of megatons at 100,000 feet, will wipe out all electricity , and fry the microcircuty of the computers World wide..</p>
<p>A new dark age will come upon us, with not only the nukes but the latest in Bio,and Chem.. Billions will die.. Just the way the Rothschilds like it&#8230; More death.</p>
<p>And at the end of it all they hand the world over to a bunch of aliens who they have been channeling for hundreds of years. These aliens gave them the power, because the occult is how to communicate with THEM. The Aliens looked at this world and realized that the most ruthless, are the survivors on this planet.. So they picked the Ashkenazi race to be their embassitors.. The Askenazi swiped the religion of Judaism, and turned it into a reason to swipe the M.E Oil, that is soon to be headed to Israel. Israel will be the place where humankind interfaces with The Others.</p>
<p>We have been taken over by aliens, takes on a whole new meaning when you realize that they are not of this solar system.</p>
<p>like Si- Fi.</p>
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