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Ever since our Shaun got back from his far eastern trip I have noticed a bit more of a strident jingoistic tone to his posts. What is it that he saw out there that has made him into a globalization devotee. I bet it was the money, power that was readily being made out in the developing world, and to be part of it you have to support it. Sell your soul to it, but more on that later.

The GW Bush Party in reality is the party of globalization which uses the Repblican party as a cover organization. So to say that Cheney and Bush are feathering their own nests by doing Halliburton and the various oil companies favors is shortsighted. Sure they have personal fortunes, but their REAL job is to ensure that the economic globalization continues on unabated, that the status quo of American corporate hegemony is maintained.

The Democrats are screaming about getting out of Iraq. The real reason they are sounding so shrill is that they want the campaign contributions that the Repblicans are getting from the corporations doing business out on the rim. It has nothing to do with whats best for America or its people. Its about power and the money it attracts. Sure the US might get out of Iraq but the money that is being dumped over in Iraq is going to go to corporations and projects that favor Democratic Party politics instead.

Now to live well and prosper under this system one in a sense has to sell their soul by looking the other way for the sake of "progress." The Jihadist in a sense is saying that Allahs Law is higher than the laws of Western Civilizations capitalism. That there is a definate right and wrong in the world instead of varying shades of corporate grey or liberal moral and ethical ideals (or lack thereof).

This moral force of Islamic Jihadism has terrified the devotees of globalization because with 911 the house of cards that is the worlds financial and monetary system was nearly toppled. To this end governmental and private security organizations have all focused on preventing another "large event." These security forces don't really care about subway or bus bombings, as anything more than being a nuisance of collateral damage in the on going war of wills.

Which brings us specifically to Iraq. The Iraqi adventure was ill conceived by the Bush administration for they chose to ignore the consequences of the pandoras box it would open. The forces that they let loose with the invasion have yet to be played out and the various outcomes to the situation are not very good ones, as they have given up the ability to control events, let alone have any favorable course of action to follow.

In one sense the Iraqi citizens are irrevelant to what is happening in Iraq except for the fact that they can cause carnage to western corporate interests in country. There is more money being poured into Iraq than can be imagined, and global corporate interests are in Iraq picking it up. To protect these interests from the Iraqis or Jihadists, private corporate armies are or are being developed with the assistance of the American government.

At some point in the near futher (March 2008) the US military is going to have to start drawing down its force levels out of shear necessity. To pick up the slack these corporate security forces will step up to protect their interests. The real problem will be with the Iraqi Army or security forces and whose bidding and loyalty they will be subject to. The idea has been to create an Iraqi Army that will provide uniform security for all Iraq and not be under the sway of factionalism. This is the fundlemental political problem that has to be solved in order for American military forces to draw down. Until then American military forces keep a lid on a pot that can boil over.

The implications of a "boil over" in Iraq has immense regional and therfore severe consequences to the global economy, because oil is the global economys source of energy. This again being the Bush Administrations constituency is another reason for them not withdrawing miltary forces from Iraq. However the Democrats have said that the consequences might not be so drastic as Bush portrays, yet the mere fact that the RISK exists makes a withdrawl of American forces under any President imprudent.

Another consequence of the Iraqi adventure has been a focus on Iraq at expense of our efforts in Afganistan and the corollary situation in Pakistan. To ignore these areas is to do so at our own peril. President Musharraf has a literal tiger by the tail when dealing with the forces of Islamic fundlementalism in his country. He by no means has a firm grasp on that tiger and any faltering on his part means his end. With that end comes the large risk of a Islamic government in Pakistan with their hands on nuclear weapons. This has been the aim of Al Qaedeas number two man, Al Wahari. For then it is possible for Al Qaedea to become a nuclear power.