The Sound of Cannons

The sound of canons is indeed getting closer.... Small countries are merely chess pieces amongst the superpowers !!
US seeks to turn China over Iran sanctions
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/LC04Ad02.html
The diplomatic battle over UN sanctions against Iran has shifted to Asia. Tehran in recent days has lobbied Tokyo and the United States has finally turned its attention to China, the holdout power with a veto on the Security Council. As the US case has been unpersuasive on how sanctions could benefit China, two US envoys head there this week in an attempt to bring Beijing around to the US way of thinking. - Peter Lee (Mar 3, '10)

i must say that after waiting over 2 years..i am hearing some rumbling of drums

History, history, history, Will history repeat itself ??
WHAT ENDED THE GREAT DEPRESSION?
http://pragcap.com/what-ended-the-great-depression

In our opinion, it was the war spending that ended the depression,

Having said that, the problem is not that simple. World War ll brought the nation back to full employment, but since so much of the wartime production was wasted there were not enough products and services on the market to meet the potential demand created by the newfound income resulting from the production of war goods. Therefore, to prevent soaring inflation the government resorted to rationing a wide array of key products and the sale of war bonds to siphon off income into savings and depress consumption. This resulted in a big buildup of savings that was available for consumer spending after the war. In addition the military force was expanded to about 11 million in a population far smaller than today’s. And, of course, transferring 11 million people out of the labor force into the military was a huge factor in reaching full employment. Let’s also not forget that there was a paucity of civilian big ticket items produced during the war, resulting in a big increase in replenishment demand in the post-war period.

yes. some politicians in the U.S. still like to discuss how WW2 brought the U.S. out of the Great Depression. But that's false when the economic conceptualization of the time is revealed. Unemployment went down - yes - because of the mandatory draft. Rationing was also ignored at times as a black market became bigger because rationing was unnecessary and only made it more difficult rather than better. When the private market actually began to boom again wasn't until after the war and some of the reasons are (1) all that production in military goods diverted capital away from peace-time economic goods and so when the war was over capital returned to those economic goods to be produced creating production and jobs; (2) taxes were lowered and gov't cut spending; (3) the U.S. was one of the few countries that wasn't destroyed and European countries as well as some Asian countries were destroyed on a massive scale. Factories gone, production capacities gone, etc.... So the U.S. became a major producer of economic goods not only for itself but for nearly the rest of the world in order for the rest of the world to rebuild.

And that's to name a few off the top of my head.

The idea of war getting a country out of a depression comes up at times in the media or spoken by politicians and that is a VERY dangerous idea. It becomes a way for politicians to think war is good for a country. In economic terms, the idea of destruction being economically creative is a logical economic fallacy that the economist Frederic Bastiat termed The Broken Window Fallacy.

good post Ian.

i think they all still think war will fix it..

In a world of diminishing natural resources, War over water is certainly not out of question.
When the Mekong runs dry
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LC13Ae01.html
Thailand says dams in China are lowering the Mekong River to critical levels, while Beijing blames the water shortage on a severe drought. Millions of people in the lower Mekong nations depend on the river for fishing and irrigation, but this quarrel suggests their governments are powerless in the face of China's water-management. - Brian McCartan (Mar 12, '10)

In the absence of greater transparency from China, observers are left to wonder how much water is currently held behind China's Mekong dams after the long drought and low rainfall suffered across the region in 2009. Additionally, they contend that it is unlikely China would be willing to release additional water beyond what is necessary for electricity generation while the current drought continues.

Southeast Asian countries are extremely vulnerable to China's saber-rattling tactics. They are caught in a geopolitical war between Beijing and Washington.

Another "completion date" that we should keep an eye on....
South Korea reluctant to take command
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/LC13Dg01.html
United States forces in South Korea are wrestling to set a date to hand over control of military operations to their hosts. General Walter Sharp, commander of the American contingent, says with military precision that the top brass in Seoul will assume command "on 17 April, 2012". The South Koreans seem none too sure they will be ready. - Donald Kirk (Mar 12, '10)

funny i was looking for Ian post about the rails and i see YOU GUYS talking about water i just post this 2 today weird







WATER is next old video watch Bolivia water en Bechtel - The corporation. http://bit.ly/aYmAbY 13 minutes ago via web



Utah having law passed requiring citizens to register with the state and buy a standardized container collect rainwater http://bit.ly/9GrpYy 19 minutes ago via web
* Delete
4. izabels izabels

Final destination Iran? http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/world-news/final-destination-iran-1.1013151 25 minutes ago
sorry left this link too is 2 days old i think but is good
and here is the one about the rails
China To Connect Its High Speed Rail All The Way To Europe
by Bridgette Meinhold, 03/15/10
http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/03/15/china-to-connect-its-high-speed-rail-all-the-way-to-europe/

Looks like we are ready for Falkland Island War Two ??
Argentina threatens to ban firms operating in the Falklands as Royal Navy sends attack submarine

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1258531/Falkland-Islands-oil-row-Navy-attack-submarine-HMS-Sceptre-dispatched.html

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:44 PM on 17th March 2010
Comments (100) Add to My Stories Argentina upped the ante over the Falkland Islands today by threatening to ban firms operating in the British colony.
Companies were warned they face having to choose between the Falklands and Argentina under proposed new legislation.
Argentine MPs are set to debate a bill imposing a 30-day deadline on firms to axe ties with the Falklands or face being kicked out of the south American country.

nice catch ian..

check the movie poster out..one eye

Seems like NK is back at it

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/03/26/north-korea-nuclear-us.html

Earlier Friday, North Korea's military warned South Korea and the United States on Friday of "unprecedented nuclear strikes" as it expressed anger over a report the two countries plan to prepare for possible instability in the totalitarian country, but there are no clear indications that the ship's sinking is tied to the North Korean threat.

"Those who seek to bring down the system in the [North], whether they play a main role or a passive role, will fall victim to the unprecedented nuclear strikes of the invincible army," North Korea's military said in comments carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

RED ALERT !!..
South Korean navy ship sinking - Yonhap
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SGE62P0GH.htm

Source: Reuters
SEOUL, March 26 (Reuters) - A South Korean naval ship with more than 100 on board was sinking on Friday in waters off the west coast near North Korea and a rescue operation was under way, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or the reason for the accident. (Reporting by Cho Mee-young; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Stay tuned...
South Korean navy ship 'sinking near North'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8589507.stm

The police force was put on heightened alert in the capital, Seoul.

The South Korean ministry of defence has not confirmed the reports of North Korean involvement.

According to this newspaper, North Koreans are behind the attack !! Crap is about ready to hit the fan ??
BREAKING NEWS: North Korea 'torpedoes and sinks' South Korean navy ship with 104 sailors on board

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1260975/BREAKING-NEWS-South-Korean-ship-100-board-sinking-torpedo-attack-North-Korea.html

Wonder if the old-man is about to die?

Could get nasty.