In Saudi Arabia, Bush encounters a force more powerful than democracy.
Comment: Why are Saudis allowed to fund mosque set up all over the planet and other religions not allowed to do the same in there their country? Why is this lack of reciprocity allowed ? Why makes them so special? This must change or they must be banned from building mosque in non-muslim countries.
Comment: Hidden beneath the Rockies lies a big oil field! 2 trillion barrels
Let us say it is true. How come everyone is not running to exploit it, like they exploit any other economic and financial benefit?
The other aspect is how much energy, and at what cost ??? financial and ecological, is it going to take to heat the oil shale up and extract the oil.
I suggest conserving resources; we should use renewable energy, such as Solar and Wind energy etc. to heat up the shale.
Another issue is they are waiting for oil to reach $200 per barrel so the government can reduce the deficit and outstanding loans.
I hope that is the truth and that there are no hidden agendas.
Technological hurdles to extract oil from shale
"Despite all the attempts to develop a shale oil industry in the United States over the past 100 years, the fact remains that no proven method exists for efficiently moving the oil from the rock. There are a number of candidate processes possible, but none has demonstrated a practical capability to produce oil."
Experts with field experience who are bullish on the prospects for America's oil shale. But they recognize that, here and now, we are still not there yet technologically.
There are a number of problems yet to be solved before US oil shale can be recovered on any type of meaningful scale, let alone a mass scale. And getting the extraction technology right is only one monkey wrench in the works with US oil shale. There are others.
For example, there are questions of air quality regarding domestic oil shale operations. How badly would these operations pollute the air? Would the levels be acceptable? Shell isn't sure.
There are questions of water availability. During the extraction process, how much water would be required?
Experts are not sure. An early "guess" is two to three barrels of water per barrel of shale. This could be a conservative estimate. Either way, will the massive amounts of water necessary for heavy-duty shale extraction even be available in the first place, given that the Colorado River Basin is already running low?
You also need to account for the environmental and ecological damage and restoration to pre-drilling condition.
American technology and knowhow will find the answer ??? all you have to do is wave the dollar bill in front of corporate America and they will find the answer ???by hook and by crook???. Then the executives, the shareholders and the politicians will laugh all the way to the bank.
Yehuda Draiman
Comment: I am of the opinion that saudi Arabia is a puppet of USA,the rulers are engaged in luxiorus life there is no freedom of experession in the country,in such circumstances what an ordinary person can do?
ENAIT
Comment: how come the rest of the worl(meaning america and the west) are begining to wake up to the treat these islamic radicals pose to the rest of the world.we christians in nigeria have known that the saudis worship the devil for a long time now.but i am still happy that you folks woke up at last; better late than never
Comment: we warship one god not more not less who is the creator of universe
and we find his wisdom in our holly book that is for all not for some
Comment: zionest odors are every ware
we warship one god who created the universe not more not less
Comment: refrisher to commontators >>>>>>>>>>>>>> syex-peco- syex-peco
Comment: Actually, it was the British Empire who put Saud in charge. The US just inherited the place.
Comment: you need to go back deeper in history
al saude were even befor america idependent
read about first saudi nationor country
ok?
Comment: Actually, it was the British Empire who put the Saud Family in charge. Woodrow Wilson wanted to democratize them.
Comment: And, who put the Saud family on the throne in Arabia? The U.S., of course. We have been sowing the seeds of our own destruction since our founding,
Comment: The Saudis are laughing all the way to the bank, while you overload your canary behind.
Comment: Saudi Arabia has the most proven oil reserves. US is not even close.
Comment: The US is not the top oil producer in the world.
Saudi Arabia is.
Comment: Please be reminded that the US is still the largest oil producer in the world and has the world's largest oil reserves. The problem is the US is also the largest oil consumer in the world and has been guzzling gas for decades and thus become a net importer. If the Americans can reduce oil consumption, the world can be a more peaceful place!
Comment: The problem is not Islam, as the author is pointing out. The problem is ISRAEL, the commander of the U.S.
The author forget the fact that most of the truobles in the world is cause by the policies of double standard by the west. They pursue all the aspirations of ISRAEL. They always try to extenguish any source of counter balance to the power of Israel. Time will come, one will rise unstoppable and bring equal justice for all as the true ISLAM is teaching.
Comment: You guys make it up as you go along (and are generally clueless)
*The movement to create the State of Israel started in 1900 not after WWII
*Palestine was largely unpopulated around 1900. In addition the Bedouin and Druze populations are pro-Israel/Jewish/West. Aside from the documented Ottoman census the fact that it was mostly unpopulated was document by various writers that travel the area including Mark Twain.
*Per the Ottoman census at the turn of the century of all the various groups in Palestine the largest single group was Jewish.
*The World Jewish Congress of 1900 started raising funds to buy all the privately owned land in Palestine from absentee landlords living in Turkey (Ottomans). Which they mostly did prior to WWII, often at inflated prices.
*During WWII Arabs made it illegal for Jews to buy land, however by that time the most of the privately owned land was held by the World Jewish Congress.
*The Arabs sided with Germany in WWI and WWII. In WWII the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem requested Hitler setup camps in the Mideast to exterminate the Jewish population. Generally the loser in a war, especially the aggressor, also loses land why not the Arabs?
*Circa 1900 Jewish pioneers fought malaria, drained swamps in the north channeled water to the desert in the south and build infrastructure, on land they purchased, thus creating a sustainable economy.
*Most of the people who are calling themselves ???Palestinians??? migrated there from other Arab countries BECAUSE of the Jewish created economy. For example Yasser Arafat was born Syrian.
*The PLO started its terror campaign; aimed at civilians, especially grade schools, in the 50s, before the ???67 war when the West Bank and Jerusalem went to Israel.
*The Gaza strip was controlled by Egypt but as part of the peace treaty with Egypt; Israel gave back the Sinai but had to agree to take over control of Gaza. Neither Egypt or Israel wanted to get stuck with Gaza.
*Arabs hiding fighters, rocket launchers and munitions in civilian areas is modus operandi. This includes the use of ambulances to transport military material/fighters. Thus the reason Red Crescent ambulances are searched.
Comment: By the way Potemkin actually built for Russia prosperous North Black Sea area (what is now South Ukraine) by supporting industry, agricultureand other busineses, religious and ethnic tolerance. One of his measures was support for population of region by escaped serfs and religeous dissidents. He freed new residents for several years of taxes and gaves them subsidies. So, compairing Potemkin activities with Arabs on their penisula is completely stupid.
By the way Potemkin cities and vilages were slanderous inventions of his enemies
Comment: Hirsch, you need to step back and take a look at yourself. Considering the fascist mentality in America, its horrendous crimes rates, and the genocide in Iraq and Afghanstian, Saudi Arabia looks like PARADISE in comparison. For the underhanded attempt to demonize the gulf states in favor of the much ballyhooed Israel, again the comparison of a train wreck of a terrorist state, Israel, bears poorly in comparison to Saudi or the Gulf. By rights, democracy has brought murder and mayhem to Israel, Iraq, and Afghanistan. NO THANKS
Comment: Go solar/water/wind/geothermal.
We need manahattan project type effort to get ourselves off oil. We can do it, manufacture our own energy sources, stop funding people who wish to murder us and enslave others.
Do it people!
Comment: We need oil. We need to profit of oil. So how can we intelligently tap into oil revenues without having the oil companies raise the price. The billions of dollars in profit that they make must be used to pay our debts and balance the budget. We are getting ripped off and this OIL monopoly must be broken up. Any president that can do that and not have these maniacs raise the price to over a hundred dollars a barrel, would truly be amazing. Oil compainis operating in foreign countries must be taxed according to their profits. They must be transparent so everyone can witness that they can pay tax and still make a healthy profit. Cracking Oil, the Drug compainies and the insurance companies would put us back on track.. This task is next to impossible and only a movement can reform these entities.
Comment: The Survival of Humankind, and Improving the World, Society, and Yourself!
Yet who can the world trust to be idealistic and moral enough to help all of humanity and the environment, and at the same time, be practical enough to make extremely difficult decisions that can and will harm a great deal of people?
Humanitism is a philosophy for the continued survival and perpetuation of the human race. Humanitists (people who believe in humanitism) do not have the luxury of trying again after failing. Humanitists must be more vigilant than environmentalists, because we will not have a second chance at survival.
The survival of humanity is more important than the well being of our environment; however the environment is necessary for humanity to survive. That does not give the right for big businesses to continue doing whatever they want with only minimal or no consideration for the environment, so long as our surroundings support human life. We need to protect the environment for the continued survival and future well being of humanity. Keep in mind that without the human race, there would be no one and no need to protect the environment. Therefore, humanitism is more important than environmentalism.
It seems that in the past 50 years the human race has pursued the money train, that such desire for financial gain has caused society to ignore and abandon honesty, values, morality and candidness etc.
The race to financial gain has caused our leaders and the executives of the corporate world to disregard laws, ethics and the caring for each other and humanity as a whole. Deception, fraud and outright theft are their new motto all for the sake of financial gain, fame and success.
It seems that for the sake of success and profit people will step on anybody, family friends, co-workers and anyone who stands in their way or take advantage of anyone that could help them achieve what they want.
That is not to say that honest and compassionate people who care do not exist, where honesty and integrity is a way of life for them, but they are a very small minority.
As we begin the year 2008, we should all look at the past and decide with determination that everyone will from now on contribute to the betterment of humanity, society and mankind.
We should all learn to live with each other and respect each other for the sustainability of mankind.
Compiled by: Yehuda Draiman ??? 1/1/2007
PS
The human survival instinct prods us to outlast afflictions and, if circumstances permit, to reach old age. Nothing, of course, could be more quintessentially natural than aging..
Comment: One thing for sure is that whoever our next president is will have his or her work cut out for them digging out of the huge hole that Boy King George has dug us into. What a joke! He says that he believes there will be a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians before his term ends. Yes, and pigs will fly over Mecca also.
Comment: One thing for sure is that whoever our next president is, he or she will have their work cut out for them digging out of the huge mess that the Boy King George has dug us into. What a joke - he's gonna reach a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians before his term ends! And pigs will fly over Mecca also!
Comment: eUROpEANS HAVE ARE THE MOST ANTI SEMETIC pEOpLE IN THE WORLD WHY DOES ISRAEL NOT BOME FRANCE OR EASTERN GERMANY. bECAUSE THEY CAN BOMB BACK. IT IS ALL ELEMENTARY. THOSE WHO ARE pROFITING CONFUSE THE MASSES INTO THINKING ONLY THEY HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE. sWISS BANK ACCOUTS THAT NAZI S OpENED AND ARE STILL ACTIVE TODAY. wHY IS ISRAEL NOT BOMING SWITZERLAND. dID IRAN pROGIT OF OF THE DEATH OF SIX MILLION JEWS. dID THE EUROpEANS NOT KICK THE JEWS OUT OF EUROpE. BE HONEST AND BE FAIR.
Comment: eddiwhere,
yes
European mistreatment of Jews is the root of the Israeli problem.
London Jews, on behalf of badly treated Jews in cities throughout Europe, asked the British King for a Jewish state in the then British Empire
The King's Minister consented, saying the King supported formation of a Jewish nation "in Palestine" (Lord Balfour, in a 2 or 3 paragraph letter, in early 1900's)
The Palestinians, 90% of Palestien population, reacted violently and angrily.
To help Jews with their mistreatment by Europeans, the Brits were agreeing to give 8% of the the Palestine population a state -- with no commitment to the 90% majority.
Then Hitler, another European, put his true Hell on Jews.
We Americans should understand that our moral duty in all this can only to welcome the Jews as US citizens.
It runs counter to US values to force a religious/racial state into the belly of a pre-existing majority whose living people were not the cause of their invaders problems.
I can see no solution besides welcoming all Iseraeli Jews as US citizens if they choose to come, ending support for Israel, and support the creation of a 100% Palestine with Jewish and Christian minorities (either now, or when all those young Arabs come of age and demograshpics carry it that way).
Like slavery in the US, support for race-based Israel is un-American.
And anyway, we could sure use a big wave of Jews to give the real estate market a pop!
Comment: If the Arabs did not have oil and own thirteen per cent of the U.S economy would we be in this situtation. Africa is in a state of chaos and genocide yet we do nothing. WHY. It is not profitable. Lets be honest. We know that the trade of nuclear material in eastern europe is the new trend. Yet we ignore the real threat and pusue Iran a country that is joke and can be annihilated in a second. We all know that Iraq is home to over twenty five secret bases in the dessert some the size of the Washington MALL. THE embassy in IRAQ looks like the VATICAN. THis is BIG BUSINESS. WHY aRE WE NOT pUNISHING THE pOWERS THAT GAVE IRAN NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. wHY DOES ISRAEL NOT BOMB THE SOURE. BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE pOWER TO BOMB BACK. iRAN IS NOT THREAT, THEY ARE A DESpERATE REGIME AND IN FACT ARE VERY WEAK. if THEY WERE STRONG THEY WOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING. THEY CANNOT DO NOTHING. AMERICANS NEED TO WAKE Up AND UNDERSTAND THAT OUR GOVERNMENT HAS ITS OWN AGENDA.
Comment: if the arabs didn,t have sycs-beeco treety they wouldn,t be in this setuation
comeon be fare or at least more clever
Comment: It seems that GWB (and father) have developed a unique relationship with the head (s) of this desert dominion, and that that dominion has extended its long fingers for change throughout the world. The delicate posturing and exchange of passing diplomatic pleasures between these petro sherrifs, and former intelligence elite perhaps are coming to the end of a long popular series re-run. Where the new kids in town are yet to show their faces until the rerun indeed departs the theatre. The billing posters have been removed from the street front (OPECs intention to change the barrel's petrocurrency from the dollar, and America's love of the touring car and RecVehicles being an industry expectation downsized). Yet the longer it has run and still captured an applauding audience, the price for a ticket has inched up up and away.
The next President must deal with the basic issues Hirsh has raised with a new foreign policy set with intentions not so far removed from its origins from a Representative Democracy, where, in Western Palestinian territory pure middle eastern lazze fare Democracy has cost an additional high projection room staff and equipment cost at the theatre. Not only were the Bush dream writers, once in full force at State out on strike on writing up this event, they had exited andexiled the theatre prior to its soon to be announced fire remnant sale: where only remaining soiled furniture would remain up for grabs.
The fact is a new theatre has been constructed just across town, still in site of Mecca. It has means of crowd appeasement and crowd control, and it has substantially lowed the price of admission. The stage will bill the new cast as participant observers, though a little tainted as to mass appeal by a fringe group: a band calling themselves the culture of death. Funny thing though, its like piercing, everybodys' doing it.
Comment: Well put. On the political front, does the US bring the brand of diplomacy with Islam into the campaign so the Saudis get a chance to make some concessions to keep the bucks coming in?
Comment: Mr. Hirsch,
I appreciate the concise description of the type of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia, I have not seen it described as well elsewhere. This article really pinpoints our quandry but posits no solutions. How should a nation behave when we are dependent on a country for resources that teaches hatred for our kind? This is what we will have to figure out THIS century. Rather than spending time and money buttering up the Saudis, perhaps we should be spending those resources on weaning ourselves OFF of oil and NOT just TALKING about it. How much did this butt-kissing trip cost the American people? How many solar panels would that money have bought?
Canadilio, the point of the article seems pretty clear to me. Bush gives lip-service to democracy while kissing-up to the oil-rich Saudis, many of whom would like to see all us Western infidels dead. We're fattening the lion that may kill and eat us eventually. Read the article again.
tdn0024: Your bias is so clear it "is pathetic." Millions of Jews were welcomed to the USA after WWII and have prospered here. The fact that many wanted their own historic lands back to create their own land is something you should understand since you want the same thing. The Jewish state was created in the location that was historically known to be the origin of the Jewish religion, culture, and people. You may not want to accept that fact, but they were there before you and were thrown off their lands hundreds of years before we were born. Yes, there were many cultures living in that area at that time too. Was the location the best possible solution? I don't know, but there is probably no perfect solution. I wasn't at the meeting where they decided where Israel should go. The fact is that they want the same thing that you want - peace and prosperity in a land you can call your own. If you are patient and can learn to compromise and be tolerant of their existence (and right to exist), perhaps you will see that in your lifetime. Many religions and cultures lived together in quite a few metropolitan areas in ancient times, why can't they do so now?
Comment: What is my bias that is so clear its pathetic?
I am rather interested to hear your perspective.
Here's my take on your bias:
I grew up in California.
Let's suppose white California quickly gave citizenship to a bunch of Irish immigrants, and rounded up the poor Mexican neighorhoods into crayon drawn territories, so that we Whites Californians could maintain our majority. After all, those darn Mexicans were just having too many babies in our midst, and the demograhphics made clear that they were the future majority.
Who would be the first to holler? The Jews at Time Magazine, The NYT, the Washington Post. Not to mention to the ACLU.
And guess what. I'd support them in hollering!
But you fail to see the irony.
For what I describe in California this is just what Israel has done to preserve the future Jewish majortity. Rushed in Jews from Russia. Drawn a line, and built a wall around "territiories".
There are Jews who are ethical people, and know this.
And there are the vast majority of Jews, stuck in 1948, like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton stuck in 1969, milking it for all its worth.
Jewish Israel uses wretched, mean race-based policy that is not equal to the dignity of individual Jews.
But you all support it.
And my regrettably foolish and self-righteous nation does Israel bidding work.
The higher moral ground is for the US to offer Israel Jews US citizenship, and close the book once and for all on WWII.
We did our part then. We can do it now, and from a US perspective, finally put Hitler to rest.
If Jews want to keep imagining Hitler everywhere, that is their affair.
In a proud country where 1% of our population is Jewish, and as much as 10% of our Senate Jewish, we have nothing to be ashamed.
If Henry Kissinger weren't a Jew, he would totally agree with my words. Realplolitik.
You Zionists are lucky that we Americans prefer action to thought. With your hard work and dedication, you have your way in print, Hollywood, and Washington.
That is a credit to you, and shameful reflection on the non-competitiveness for top posts of the other 99% of us Americans.
But your power doesn't change the underlying error of your ways. Time has moved on. You are now the racists. And you can do better. You know better. But you are stuck in your fears. Battling the ghosts of 1880 to 1946.
Welcome to America. You are safe here.
Please, my friend, stop besmirching democracy with your forced racial/religious oligarchy that you seek to call democracy. You, and we, can do better.
Comment: Hirsh as always is full of sour grapes, it is clear he lacks judgement and objectivity, two key atributes in any good journalist. This is not the time to undermine friendly governments and not the US president's responsibility to oversee sovereign governments.
Comment: the (c) boys can understand each other
camels boys and cow boys see wisdom from thier history that they are proud of
king abdullah and push have the same way of keeping kattles sound
Comment: Michael,
"This is no time to undermine the Arab regimes. It's important to rally them against Iran's nuclear program and to enlist them in supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process."
Very disheartening.
First, the Muslims are several hundred million, and deserve nukes.
Second, if Bush weren't a fool, he'd simply show them a map with a crayon drawn around Muslim countries from Morrocco to Indonesia.
He'd then explain that the US used to have an enemy called the USSR. Whose people got sick of it and overthrew it.
And today, we have an enemy called the UMR...Union of Muslim Republics. As with the USSR, if they throw one single nuke our way, we will turn them into glass.
Sticking the thorn of Israel into the Arab belly was a mistake: Christian Europe was the cause of Jewish problems in the 100 years before the 1946 -- not Muslim Arabia.
It is the responsibility of Christians and Jews to solve the lingering issues of World War II, not Arabs.
Your reasoning is pathetic.
Look at your last name, and there is likely the answer.
My friend, Christiains live far from their holy land.
We Americans should welcome all Jews from Israel as US citizens, and let go of the folly we committed in 1948.
The Jews are the most impressive society on Earth. The one minority that near always became educated, professional, familiar, wealthy ...despite horrific treatment in many countries. The minoriy that puts the lie to discrimination as a determinant of social conditions. The ninority that shows the power of education and familial love to overcome hardship and prejudice.
But Michael, until you Jews can admit that you were also wrong to ask the British and Europeans to stick a thorn in the belly of the Arabs, you have no right to say that Bush needs to be friendly with dictators in support of the victors peace you and the US want to impose on Arabs.
Just a bunch of desert? Ha! Watch Putin reach for just a bit of Alaskan wasteland, and see if America doesn't fight, fight, fight.
America could, and should have welcomed the Jews it wanted to protect from more evil 60 years ago.
Every day is a new chance to right this wrong. And take the thorn out of the Arabs side.
Michael Hirsch, leadership from you and other US Jews is needed.
The name of the country was to be Palestine. Give them full political control of the country. Jews should stay as a minority if you so choose.
But please, stop advocating bad policy and telling yourself that you are thoughtful and just.
Comment: i started to read your comment until i got to europe is the cause of jwish problem
i knew what is your root but you are still talking as an american
i said c boys didnet i
not conspirecy boys ok?
Comment: blah blah blah...
Its either blame the Neo Conservatives or blame the Saudis for war and terror in the world.
Just maybe the issues are little more complex than you're 2 page analysis ?
Personally im sick of journalists ranting without offering anything resembling a point.
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