[Jhoffa_]

So, now the old conspiracy about "it's all about the oil" has been cast aside.

The new and improved conspiracy is: "all about the dollar to buy the oil"

[Jhoffa_]

Ping.

[Keith]

what utter horse manure.

Actually, we are going to war with Iraq because the Aliens at Area 51 are stealing the world's water.

why not?

It makes as much sense as this crap!

[demlosers]

Total BS!

[Only1choice____Freedom]

I'm gonna scream the next time I hear "The real reason for the war is..."

What's next, "The real reason is because of aliens?"

I guess that would be the Raliens!

Why can the not accept that the real reason is Sadam?
Talk about denial!! Why can they not get it through their thick heads that there is a real reason for things that don't include their demented thinking?

[montag813]

This article is absurd. The Euro has been in a technical uptrend for 16 months. I trade Euro futures and have made an absolute killing being long in this currency over the past year. If Bush wanted to squash the Euro than his policy has been a total failure. The Euro has gained 10% against the dollar in the past 4 months alone--a staggering gain for a currency.

[Amerigomag]

From my perspective the article has merit.

The problem with the author's premise is that he does not believe that this financial threat is also a real strategic threat. Like so many who attempt to deceive, he uses the time honored ploy of not even questioning that this threat is sufficent to go to war.

From my perspective this is another good justifcation to go to war and it'll be added to my talking points.

Thanks for the post.

[dennisw]

Some of what this guy says is true. Every American reaps the befits of the US dollar being the world's reserve currency. Our huge trade deficits are much easier to slough off due to our dollar being the foremost reserve currency.

Two factors that make the dollar strong and enhance it's reserve currency status

• A US military that can project force abroad and protect the USA.
• A successful US operation in Iraq    (with help from UK and Australia)

Maybe this guy is right and this really is a battle between the EU €  (France Germany) and the USDollar $ (United States and UK) and I want the USA to win

 

 

[RightWhale]

The seams in my foil hat seem to be secure. This article is having no effect.

[Torie]

So if I hand Saudi a bunch of Euros it won't sell me any oil? What currency oil prices are denominated in doesn't see to me to be relevant. What is relevant is the desire of foreigners to use dollars as an actual medium of exchange and hold US treasuries. I don't think who has influence in what oil producing country has much to do with that. The author just makes assertions that are not backed up with any empirical evidence or economic macroeconomic contruct. Instead, all we have is nutter stuff about a Bush/CIA oligarchic conspiracy to prop up the dollar through war. Just why the oligarchy would want to do that is not addressed, even if the premise of the author is accepted, since the exchange rate is the balancing wheel of trade.

Frankly, the major benefit the US gets from the dollar being used as a medium of exchange is that the dollars abroad represent an interest free loan to the US. What with interest rates so low, that benefit these days is close to rounding error.

Then the canard is thrown in the the CIA/Bush oligarchy wants US dependence on foreign oil, and thus is against alternative energy sources? Just why is that? How does that prop up the dollar?

Reading this article is sort of like taking a Mr. Toad wild car ride, as one careens here and there, crashing in to this and that, and getting absolutely nowhere in the end, except perhaps into a mental hospital.

[Diddley]

Does Clark normally go by “W”?
According to him:

No international coalition to militarily disarm Saddam

No evidence of a reconstituted Iraqi WMD program.

No links between Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda.

Only became “aware” of N. Korea after congress voted on the Iraq Resolution.

Although completely suppressed in the U.S. media, the answer to the Iraq enigma is simple yet shocking.
The Real Reason for this upcoming war is this administration's goal of preventing further OPEC momentum towards the euro as an oil transaction currency standard. However, in order to pre-empt OPEC, they need to gain geo-strategic control of Iraq along with its 2nd largest proven oil reserves.

OK. I give up. You found us out.
There are no WMDs in Iraq.
Saddam does not present a threat to us.
Saddam doesn’t/won’t support terrorists.
We held back on what we knew about N. Korea, and the situation with N. Korea is really about Rice-Dollars.
We tried to fool the world, but Clark found us out. Dang it!

[Diddley]

Can you just see Third-world countries (other than Iraq-like) giving up dollars for euros?

[MissAmericanPie]

If the author is right then we must take out our enemies. Another great reason for the WOT.

[FixitGuy]

Try This here linkfor the whole article.

I know it's complicated, but there are well educated Freepers who may take a different view than most who have posted here.

I'm always suspicious and neither party makes me comfortable, particularly when it appears that life is viewed so cheaply by powerful people.