Is it time for Tony Blair to go.

[GNEP]

KvH,

At least 2 of the (european-based) Big Oils do spend large wads on R&D - BP is the world's largest solar panel company, Shell is not far behind.

Both spend a lot on wind (no, not that sort )

Both spend a lot on fuel cell research, with the motor companies.

Problem is, at the moment oil-based technologies are relatively too "cheap". This is changing, but slowly.

A notable US firm doesn't do any of this - it (aguably defensibly) beleives that it's purpose is simply to make as much money from oil, gas and chemicals as it can. And it doesn't do too badly. But they also deny global warming I think.

gnep

[KvHagedorn]

Originally posted by GNEP

Problem is, at the moment oil-based technologies are relatively too "cheap". This is changing, but slowly.

I notice your quotes around "cheap".. we all know the long term political and environmental costs of oil dependence. That is and should be the sphere of governments to address.. if they don't address them in a sensible way, then we are all up shit creek.

[The PIT]

Originally posted by Wombat
But this is Saddam we're talking about. He's already invaded another country, and fired SCUDs at Tel Aviv just for the hell of it.

He didn't do it for the hell of it. He did it hoping to get Israel to react and then hopefully bring the rest of the Arab world in against America. The tatic failed thankfully.

[mutz]

Gnep, I think fundamentalism is the key word, right and far right included. Every country and every society, including the mafia has fundamentalists. The heavy fundamentalists don't like the public eye, don't even like the public. Among others there are religious, national, criminal, racial and corporate fundamentalists. Some of the heaviest are Americans.

They don't like upstarts like Clinton, Kennedy (Jack and Robert), Sadat, Ted Turner, etc. They set up and use people people like Regan, the Bushs, Blair, Kohl, and soforth. They have enormous influence and are masters of manipulation. They're chess and poker players. They earnestly believe they know what's good for the world. They don't question their own beliefs, ethics or morals. Plentyare billionares (not Billy), old families, priests, imams, ex generals, bankers, godfathers, you can finish the list...

People like Papa Bush, Dubya, Ronny, Tony are regarded as teenage sons by the fundamentalist fathers, and they see themselves as fathers. They are realists when it comes to getting their way and what they want, though probably not so realistic about what's good and what's evil. They are very pragmatic. They communicate with each other, directly and indirectly. They "mention" things, make "suggestions" that aren't really suggestions. It's likely many of the world's heavy fundamentalists have already worked out between them the shape of what they want to come.

They hate the media but they know how to manipulate and control it. They couldn't handle Ted turner, I know him and he's a wild man, so who owns CNN now? Who owns the big corporations, the multinationals?

On the fundalmentalist level, jews talk to arabs, christians talk to jews and muslims, chinese talk to taiwanese (computers?), communists talk to capitalists, one hand washes the other...

The fundamentalists don't have things under control by far, but they have the major influence on world events, and always have had. We only get to see the surface, but poke your nose too deep, get to close and you might just disappear....

It's not like TV and the movies, plots behind every tree, conspiracy under every Bush. Not all that these heavies do is bad, and much is not very good at all. But that is the world today, and it has always been that way. It's a practical matter, from a fundamentalists point of view...

If we open our eyes a little bit more, peak our ears and wake up our brain, we start seeing that perhaps things aren't quite the way we thought or have been lead to believe they are. Not that we have to do something about it, but to know where we are, and relative to that, what action or inaction is appropriate and what is not...

[RichL]

Originally posted by The PIT


He didn't do it for the hell of it. He did it hoping to get Israel to react and then hopefully bring the rest of the Arab world in against America. The tatic failed thankfully.

Which is probably what he'll do if he ever gets his hands on a nuke and means to deliver it.

If Saddam were to use a nuke on anywhere, I'm sure the moderate Muslim states wouldn't hinder a US/UK strike, and may even assist it.