WILL THE COST OF WAR RESULT IN PEACE ?

The year is 1989, December 20Th and Panama is
invaded by formidable U.S. force that included
27,684 troops and over 300 aircraft. Soundly
defeating the 46,000 Panamanian Defense Force.
Officially 200 Panamanian civilians died in the
conflict, many say that more like 2000 died due
to the brutal use of firepower in populated areas.
"JUST CAUSE" was justified by the U.S. as
the defense of human rights in Panama and
combating drug trafficking. The end result
was to guarantee the continued safe use of
the Panama Canal and the capture of the corrupt
president of Panama, Manuel Noriega and his
subsequent trial and imprisonment . He was
wanted for drug trafficking in the U.S. after years
of U.S. support that allowed his existence.

The Year is 2010 and the United States has landed
the 4Th fleet in Costa Rica. The President is
not wanted for Drug trafficking. This invasion is by
invitation of President Chihuahua and the Costa
Rica ruling body politic. The reason , combating
drug trafficking and to perform acts of mercy
and peace. Sound familiar ?

Most Central American countries have served as a
de facto pipeline for drugs like marijuana, cocaine,
and now the new "chemically" concocted drugs
to the U.S. and Europe. They have notoriously
turned the other cheek and allowed the transport
and some cases raw materials for the drug cartels.
No "criminal acts",involved only a breakdown of
responsibility and morality. The new apple in the
garden of Eden in this decade is greed and power.
Only Nicaragua can truly be excluded in this
group of facilitators.

However the invasion will probably be short lived
since most of the fleet will depart soon possibly parking
offshore in Venezuelan waters in a show of force. This
is in support of Colombia who is the supplier of
most of the worlds cocaine and 80% of the concrete
used in Panama. The media is now "predicting" at the
least an eminent border war between Colombia
and Venezuela.

The economic cost of an "out of control war" in South
America is almost an impossibility at this point. After all
the trade between Colombia and Venezuela is now
calculated to be $5 billion yearly. The U.S. has poured
over $5 billion in U.S. aid into Colombia and has infused
U.S. advisers throughout their huge military complex .
Venezuela has substantial oil reserves and supplies almost
20% of oil used in the U.S. Again the corporations
rule not the politicos.

An appetite for armed conflict does not exist in this climate.
Venezuela's military looks anemic when compared to
the U.S. backed Colombian military. Unless Chavez initiates
a Don Quixote attack on the 4Th fleet we will not see armed
conflict between the two (three?) nations. The poor in both
Venezuela and Colombia will remain poor and the de facto
trade and transport of Drugs will continue to grow. Ditto
Panama.

However the Drug cartels should beware since the seeds
for the legalization of drugs have been planted in the U.S.
This might herald the beginning of the end of free flowing
money to the criminal right. Already huge investments
are being made in real estate and facilities for the extensive
production of Marijuana in the state of California. If A new
industry is born leading the way to legalization of drugs.
Capitalism will win and the drug cartels will loose.

PERSHIBLE GOODS

Mention of the word "CRUSADES" was responsible
for an international tirade directed at the United States
and specifically at then president Bush. This makes one
wonder if the balance of good and evil in religion has
benefited society all that much. Make no mistake this
is not about Catholicism or any other specific religion,
but about all religions that make claims to profess faith,
hope and charity in some form. The balance may be on
the side of evil when you realize millions of people have
perished under the banner of various religions. Most
people who exclude themselves from participation in
formal religious activity seldom commit mass murder or
genocide. Of course there are exceptions but far less than
imagined. Religions on "specific crusades of promotion"
have killed, maimed and caused incalculable suffering
for centuries. Religions are often at the root of Racism
and economic manipulation of the masses. Mass
genocide has resulted and continues by misdirected
Muslims who now have declared a Jihad to eliminate
all who are not "true believers". The Catholic church
sweeps under the rug major crimes by the catholic
clergy. Possibly thousands of children have been
molested and injured for life. This is not just in specific
countries but is a global problem. Is this not evil
and injurious to society? Crimes committed by the
catholic clergy in the present and past are now in the
global spotlight.

Perhaps the problem with religions is that men write
the rules and not an illusive God. Man has always been

less than perfect. Most religions are headed by men who
claim the exclusivity of direct communication with
God through a most complicated system that most
people accept with "blind faith" . It would seem that
man in his ant-like existence in the universe would
have a low priority on any Gods list of things to do. We are
specifically not important in the grand scheme. Our
tiny satellite universe is infinitesimal when viewed as
part of the wider Universe.

Global warming is only important to those affected directly

, it would be presumptuous for all to wage a war on

Global warming when it might just be a glitch that is

a normal or abnormal continuous evolution of the universe.

Should it be man made then a correction of this massive

error in judgement is a hopeless challenge. The best man

can do is adapt to this change. I doubt that global

warming can be halted or slowed significantly.

However It has the potential to unite all nations on earth
who must adapt and work in unison together or perish.
The goal should not be to stop this natural or unnatural

evolution of the universe but to adapt to the change. A

common enemy may put a stop to the killing if nations unite

against a single inhumane catastophe instead of seeking

destruction of each other through aggressive wars.

However "Global Warming" may only result in more
chaos as protectionism becomes the new rule of survival.
I am not optimistic about prayers to the Gods at your
local church, temple or place of meeting. A plea to the
"God's", your special God, or your comercial representative

with a direct line to God will probably not stop the

evolution of the natural or unnatural Universe. One

option might be global peace, unification will allow

energy and resources to be redirected. Using these

resources for Destructive wars based on political,

economic, or religious platforms seems to be the norm

now. Stopping this useless waste of energy and money

may be critical to the survival of all who inhabit the

earth.

Like the Dinosaurs man can perish from the face
of the earth.

THE EDSEL FACTOR

The most obvious can sometimes
be completely overlooked. There
are hard facts that support the
fact that Lithium will become
unavailable for the production
of Lithium Ion batteries for the
EV's and Hybrid's of the future or
the present

The folly of dependance on LIthium
ion batteries for a power storage
source or as a bridge technology
until a more enduring technology
is developed is not a secret.
Until Fuel cell Batteries are in
production or an alternate source
is developed the EV market may
collapse.

This adds fuel to the theory that a
giant auto maker may face another
crisis. This mega auto producer
may be marching towards it's
decline as a world market leader.

There are great reserves of the heavy
metal Lithium in sea water but the
enormous cost of extracting it is
off the charts. There is no evidence
that this reserve will ever be utilized.

There is even less evidence that
the existing Lithium mines in
South America can deliver the goods
in less than 20 years. The reserves are
there but the infrastructure is not.
There is a complete absence of an
infrastructure central to these mines
and the political climate is less than
friendly for foreign capital.
Follow this link wtahil@meridian-int-res-com.
to get some facts from Meridian International
Research from a well researched paper
on Lithium reserves. This fact filled article
is worth reading if you are planing to buy
an EV in the future. My advice would be to
wait about 20 years unless you have an
excess of expendable income.

THE PAPER BY MR.WILLAM TAHILL
AT MERIDIAN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH
IS SEEMINGLY A FRANK REPORT ON
THE AVAILABILITY NOW AND
IN THE FUTURE FOR LITHIUM. BELIEVABLE
OR NOT IT IS A FACT FILLED REPORT THAT
EVERYONE SHOULD CONSIDER READING.

THE TROUBLE WITH LITHIUM
Implications of Future PHEV for Lithium Demand

FROM MERIDIAN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH
BY William

wtahil@meridian-int-res-com.

PULL OUT OF AFGHANISTAN

President Obama is cranking up the conflict in

Afghanistan by adding a substantial number of

young able Americans to the fight for freedom in

that war torn country. Freedom is not a tradition

in a country that is habitually in conflict and they

have been murdering each other for centuries,

It is cultural.

Afghanistan, not unlike the United States , has

come to regard war as a cost for doing business.

LIke the U.S. they are dependent upon war to

move the economy along. This is a result of centuries

of tribal rule. If a tribe next door attacks you there

is a brutal economic and territorial war declared.

You gain, they lose economically and politically.

We are simply a tribe that came from a greater

distance with an enormous handicap. Our

understanding of the culture is practically nil

and the cost is an enormous drag on an already

crippled U.S. economy. The increase in troop strength

will result in more and better trained combatants

on the other side.

This escalation will elevate the ugly American

to the new status of invader.Using a phrase

from a most distinguished orator George Bush,

" This is a crusade". This ignorant phrase

put a religious twist to our efforts that we will

never shed. From a pheasants viewpoint we

may as well be knights on white horses who have

come to pillage, rape and murder the citizens of

Afghanistan.

No it is not VietNam where there was a unified

resistance to the French and later to the United

States. VietNam was not a cultural war it was

political and the populace was fully aware of

this. We like the French never had a chance

of real victory and occupation was never an option.

The great difference between the two conflicts

is glaring. To use a trite phrase it is like comparing

grapes to raisins. Yes there is a unified resistance

but in Afghanistan it is only as far as you can reach

out and pay the nearest unemployed person money

to kill Americans.

In VietNam it was expansive from border to

border people would fight for months living

on fish heads and a small personal bag of rice.

It was an idealistic cause.

There is not this total unification in Afghanistan it

is a fragmented cause, tribal, religious, territorial and

sometimes so localized that even brothers are

fighting and killing each other. The predictability of

the outcome farther than 50 miles from you is

impossible . There are no resources of any

value to support a stable economy, the political

resources are corrupt and ineffective. It is

impossible and foolish to set a date for a

pullout of American troops.

The most logical conclusion is that we should

pull out now since there is not chance of depositing

the seeds of democracy in Afghanistan . I

support our troops in their efforts to hunt

down and kill the leaders and operatives who

were responsible for 9-11. I do not see any

logical reason to establish a puppet government

as we have done in Iraq.

Pull out and use the technology that we have

developed, drones and selective bombing. Use

special units to penetrate any country that harbors

these devils and destroy them no matter the location.

Ignore civilian casualties since the body count

will be substantially less on both sides.