Back-stabbings and betrayals are becoming common-place in this network, one I once feared would remain hidden, deadly and invincible. Dissenters are returning from various forms of exile , raising their voices in a call for democracy and liberty, but the nation is so fractious that civil disobedience is repressed, the people live in and are devoured by fear and anger - the shadow of civil war hangs over us all like a national scimitar of Damocles.
This is true here and it's true there.
There's never any shortage of strife, and much of it receives very little media attention here in the States. It's pretty much left to the individual to try to sort it all out on their own- a daunting task considering just how often bullshit and propaganda is presented as fact.
This is surprising, but I have found that our Central Intelligence Agency has a site that supplies exactly the kind of dull, dry and statistical information one needs to understand the real reasons things happen. It's amazing how often the simply-presented and easy to understand data conflicts with the reasoning as presented by the leaders of various warring nations and their critics and supporters.
For instance the CIA's own site clearly indicates that the current Iraq-and soon to include Iran-war is, in fact all about oil and the ownership and transportation thereof. They didn't even bother to pretend otherwise. Not one single Mainstream "journalist" seems to have noticed that, but I did.
Forget the rhetoric, the fighting is always about religion and resources, with religion often providing a rationale for the pillaging of the infidel's resources. In the last thousand years this excuse has worked for Crusaders,Vikings, Moors and Conquistadors, just to list a few- you name 'em, they were saving the savages and heathens all the way to the bank.
Let's check out Chad for example. From the CIA Factbook:
Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government eventually drafted a democratic constitution, and held flawed presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which sporadically flares up despite several peace agreements between the government and the rebels. In 2005 new rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and have made probing attacks into eastern Chad. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority. In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits.Even if you had never heard of Chad before , you now know some key facts regarding the country, but not nearly enough to have an emotional response.
You know:
-Chad is a former French Colony. Other former French holdings include Viet Nam, Algeria and New Orleans, so this fact bodes poorly for Chad.
- Chad "...endured three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. "
Things have sucked in Chad since the French left. Fighting is not unusual in Chad. The rebels who recently attacked the capital city of N'Djamena are the ones from western Sudan, BTW.
-"Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority. " This is almost always a sign of a dictatorial/totalitarian regime. Think Iraq.
-"In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits." This allows Mr. DEBY to remain in office longer than his nation's Constitution allows. This is another sign of a dictatorship- and something that my fellow Americans should be very wary of in the days leading up to 2008.
Another reason you should be glad you don't live in Chad-
"Chad's primarily agricultural economy will continue to be boosted by major foreign direct investment projects in the oil sector that began in 2000."
There it is again. Plain as day.
Oil.
Oil and a sham democracy held together by foreign corporate interests.
How unusual.
Who is investing in Chad?
"A consortium led by two US companies has been investing $3.7 billion to develop oil reserves - estimated at 1 billion barrels - in southern Chad."
What U.S. companies could they be talking about? Hmmm...
Guess who?
Right the first time!
"U.S.-based Halliburton to
provide construction services for the ExxonMobil-led oil
export project."
So Exxon and Halliburton are taking the money they are making on the Iraq war and the artificially inflated price of gasoline and using it to invest in Chad. Wonder-fucking-ful.
A "downside" to this investment - rebellion and genocide
can be really bad for business.
In the next year or two expect U.S. politicians to finally become more vocal about the Darfur genocides- they will make squawking sounds about the suffering people and tell you that we are only interested in humanitarian goals, but what they will mean is: "we gotta protect the oil."
Two things to consider:
- $3.7 Billion dollars is really not very much for Exxon/Halliburton.
They'll need to spend a lot more than that before they can sell the U.S. military down the river AGAIN. Besides, if you haven't noticed, our Armed Forces seem to have their hands quite full right now...
- This is France's baby. They send arms and advisors to the government but claim to be uninvolved in the fighting. They've been all but blind to Darfur for fear of antagonizing Sudan.They have soldiers in Chad to protect the French Nationals who live there, but not enough to protect the Chadeans themselves, nor the Sudanese refugees flooding the eastern border.
A proposal:
France has a large youth demographic that wants jobs and isn't above using violence to get them.
Exxon and Halliburton have lots of extra money but need a new private army , as the one they purchased from the White House seems to be breaking down.
Why don't they hire the French kids, arm them and send them over to protect Chad's new oil industry? --er--it's new refugees, I mean.
Yeah , I know. That's crazy talk.
Why hire the French when we've got all these Mexicans who'll work for one-tenth the price?
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