Laird, I am off the strong suspicion that the as bad as things are going for the Bushie´s in Iraq that things are radically WORSE for them in backroom deals we do not get to hear about till long after the deal is done and gone. Cuba getting Onyx missiles. Chavez getting Onyx missiles AND MIGS fitted with ONYX missiles! Then Iraq gets surface to air missiles after getting the Onyx missiles. Jeez!
Since Amunet started posting about the Onyx sometime ago I have not heard one response from anybody government or individual that we have and answer to the Onyx missile.
Prior to our involvement in Iraq no way this kind of thing would be happening.
Americas ability to militarily destroy at will almost any country they wish COMBINED with the ability to destroy almost any economy they wish is one of the things that defined the ERA that started with the Marshall plan. IMO we are at the end of the Marshall plan era. I have been expecting that at some point we get our asses kicked royally in Iraq ( no surprise to any sensible person ) and at the same time not only get our asses kicked royal in the market place but get our buts kicked in a fashion sending a clear signal that the U.S. does not dominate the financial markets in a way that no one dare stand up to for fear of being crushed like a bug with either guns or butter. Other than China who I suspect would like to continue taking away our market share at a steady pace I think now is the highest probability chance I have ever seen that every other big non Western player would be players in the comeupance.
Imagine OPEC and Russia ( a gold producer ) buying gold in a big way.
If you have an opinon on this I would sure like to hear it.