Reply #29: I couldn't help noticing your comment,

[cliss]

"...that when the meltdown comes...." Not if, evidently, but when. Since Cheney has been running the government, it's pretty clear what his opinion is on deficit spending. Wasn't he the one who said, "Deficits don't matter".

Which is amazing, since he was involved in VietNam. Stan Goff wrote that the US almost went bankrupt from that war. He said we "went from a net creditor nation to a net debtor nation", and have been one ever since". So Cheney, if anyone, should realize that staggering, uncontrolled debt will paralyze a nation.

If you accept the premise of Peak Oil, all the puzzle pieces fit together. They knew that it was only a matter of time before things would spiral out of control (from the volatility to come in oil). Our GDP and petroleum usage can be charted and they are exactly the same = more oil usage = higher GDP.

I believe they secured Iraq to buy themselves some time. It didn't do them any good, but as Wolfowitz said, "We had no choice on that one" (Iraq). When you have no choice, you're desperate.

Not that it did them any good. THey simply brought the meltdown a little sooner.