Who Rules America A must read, imo

[bonito]

James Petras, Well worth the time spent reading here.

In the broadest and deepest sense, understanding how the US political system functions, the decisions of war and peace are taken, who gets what, how and why, requires that we address the question of ‘Who rules America?

http://dissidentnews.wordpress.com/2007/05/20/who-rules-america-by-james-petras/#more-1730

[NashVegas]

1. The Author Is On the Right Track

When the pet food scandal broke, I pointed out that the name on the company's website and literatre, Menu Foods Income Fund screamed that the real purpose of the company was not manufacturing/production, but to make profits on speculation of the same.

Before the current scare, there was more info on the company on their site - but none of that info was about pet food. It was about the company selling it.

The information was geared not to consumers, but to investors.

You see, the food they sell, that's not the resource anymore. With all of Wall Street, the product that is sold is of no consequence. The real resource is consumers. We are the market share, we are where the money comes from.

[bonito]

2. Its an eye opening article alright

I'll be spending time re-reading it and digesting it for sure.

[Lurking Dem]

3. THE JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS!

A sector of the RC strongly aligned with the state of Israel supports a bellicose policy toward the Jewish state’s adversaries (Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Palestine) as opposed to another sector of the RC favoring a diplomatic approach, directed toward securing closer ties with Arab and Persian elites. Given the highly militarized turn in US foreign policy (largely due to the ascendancy of neo-conservative ideologues, the strong influence of the Zionist Lobby, and the instability and failures of their policies in the Middle East and China) the RC has pressed for and secured direct control over foreign economic policy.

The tensions and conflicts within the RC — especially between the Zioncons and the ‘free marketeers’ — have been papered over by the enormous economic benefits accruing to all sectors. All RC financial sectors have been enriched by White House and Congressional policies. All have benefited from the ascendancy of ‘liberalizing regimes’ throughout the world. They have reaped the gains of the expansionary phase of the international economy. While the entire ruling financial, real estate and trading sectors have been the main beneficiaries, it has been the financial groups, particularly the investment banks that have led the way and provide the political leadership.

We have two oilmen in the Whitehouse. I'm pretty sure House of Saud is running the damn country.

[NashVegas]

4. Let's Just Throw the Baby Out With the Bathwater, Shall We?

As long as we refuse to consider the basic facts that the fuel that enables production of goods and the transportation of those goods to the market is sitting underneath territory occupied by a milleniums'-running feud - no, we can't bring that into play, can we - nothing will change. The weapons manufacturers and their shareholders? They love that feud.

[Lurking Dem]

5. If the baby

is an antisemitic asswipe spewing filth about the "Jewish Lobby" running the US or "Jewish-American led Wall Street investment banks" reaping ill gotten benefits then, yeah, out it goes.

on edit: BTW Israel doesn't have any oil and Jewish-Americans are not Israeli. The author seems to miss that.

[bonito]

6. Kick

[AX10]

7. K & R!