Iran - The Battlefield of The Sino-American Struggle for Power

For years we have been hearing about a possible attack on Iran. Skeptics have questioned it, as people have been claiming this for so long while it never actually happened. However, to many the question is not if Iran will be attacked, but when. The fact that it has not happened yet, has many reasons, which will be addressed hereunder. The official story as for why Iran is a threat is clear: they are a threat to Israel's existence, but why is America so anxious about Iran's nuclear ambitions. Although Israeli pressure on America to tackle the Iranian threat certainly plays a role, I am of opinion that Iran's nuclear ambitions are not the real threat for America to put so much focus on the Iranian threat. I'll use this rather long thread to explain why.

Why would America actually consider attacking Iran? Assuming that Iran does indeed intend to develop nuclear weapons, it would not form a significant threat to America for the following reasons: Iran is believed not to possess ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States, whereas it does have many missiles capable of reaching Israel. Its most advanced ballistic missile, the Shahab-6, only has a range of 6,000 km at most, which would be insufficient to reach eastern coast of the United States - this was confirmed by Israeli intelligence and contradicts those who claim this missile has a range of unto 10,000 km. Additionally, the US (from now on America) spends almost $10 billion on missile defense technology, making it the single highest budget of all military programs. It is known that America has the world's most advanced anti-missile technology and has deployed these systems on its naval vessels and abroad such as in various allied Gulf States. Hypothetically speaking, the long distance between Iran and the US would enable detection of possible missile threats at an early stage that even if Iran would have the means to attack America, it would very likely fail and hence, implausible.

Although Iran has an extremist regime, it is not suicidal. A nuclear attack on America would result in a counter-nuclear retaliation, which would wipe Iran off the map inevitably. This is also the reason why a nuclear attack on Israel is highly unlikely. Iran might not have missiles capable of reaching America, they do have a serious number of missiles capable of reaching Israel. However, it is a public secret that Israel has a vast number of nuclear warheads; considering the Jewish past, an Israeli retaliation would be even more likely than an American one. To summarize: an Iranian attack is not likely to hap, there is simply nothing to gain from an Iranian perspective. Then why does Israel fear it so much?

Nuclear weapons are a political tool to influence and pressure others as well as a most effective defense against enemy threats. If Iran would obtain nuclear weapons, it could force Israel to change its behavior regarding its Muslims neighbors. Up till now, Israel has been allowed to act lawlessly like no other country would. Big brother America unanimously supports Israel and has vetoed any attempt to stop Israel from acting the way it does. Iran would balance Israel as regional superpower while simultaneously grow stronger under the protection of its nuclear threat. A nuclear ability, would create a balance very much alike the Soviet Union balanced America.

This is exactly the reason why Israel does not want Iran to go nuclear. It has pressured America to support such an attack militarily. Until now, such a move has not been supported. Bush Refused To Give Israel Green Light To Attack Iran. An attack would have had disastrous consequences for America. With costly wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it would financially and militarily be very hard to start another campaign in Iran and even harder to sell to the public.

Even though such a campaign would primarily require naval and air force assets which are, unlike the army not overburdened, it would be a very dangerous move due to the following reasons:

-Extremely costly with an already record-high budget deficit.
-Not guaranteed to be successful.
-Cause global (economic) instability.
-Form a serious threat to the fifth fleet (located in the Persian Gulf) and American troops deployed in the region.
-Cause the oil price to skyrocket.
-Very harmful to US diplomatic and political ties.

Iran has threatened to mine the Strait of Hormuz, through which 90 percent of oil exported from the Middle East is shipped. Naturally, this would lead to shortages all over the world and in no-time the global economy would come to a hold - a situation that would confront all of us and in no-time lead to severe tensions.

Iran is believed to have constructed its strategic (nuclear) facilities deep under mountains, making it a very hard objective to destroy by air as well as highly uncertain to be successful. If it would fail, it would be a huge disaster. Military war games conducted ad a number of universities and institutions in both Israel and the US, indicated the following outcome:

* The United States did not obtain meaningful cooperation from other countries.
* Sanctions did not seem to work.
* The United States could not get any meaningful support for sanctions.
* Russia and China -- both of which will be key players if sanctions are to work
* The U.S.-Israeli relationship deteriorated dramatically during the game, leading to a deep diplomatic crisis.
* Iran saw itself in a strong position and played accordingly.
* Iran emerged better off at the end of the game than it had been at the beginning. By December 2010, it had doubled its supply of low-enriched uranium and was proceeding to weaponization.

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With so many uncertainties and disastrous consequential effects, it is understandable that America seeks a diplomatic solution and has been reluctant to allow and support Israel in such a campaign. Israel lacks the military capabilities to take down Iran on its own and hence, is dependent on America, it's only true ally capable of accomplishing such a highly complex mission. Israel on its part, is far from happy about the fact that America does not want to attack Iran, yet its pressure has made America to succumb and support a war against Iran.



The Bigger picture - China

It has irritated America greatly that China, and to a lesser extent Russia, have been unwilling to support tough sanctions on Iran. American pressure on China has not resulted in a satisfactorily outcome. This was probably reason why a multi-billion arms sale to China's renegade province, Taiwan, was initiated. A risky bet that doesn't seem to pay off. Despite Israel lobby practices in Beijing and US political pressure, China still refuses to change its position regarding Iran. This situation is very similar to the prelude of the Iraq invasion, when America and Britain were not given approval for military actions by the UN security council, yet they decided to act without approval. Sanctions are only effective if they are broadly accepted, if the world community fails to implement such sanctions, Israel will most likely see no other option than to attack.

But why is it that China refuses to co-operate on sanctions? Not so long ago, it was announced that China has overtaken the US as Saudi-Arabia's biggest export market for oil:

Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabian Oil Co., the world’s biggest crude producer, is exporting about 1 million barrels a day to China, more than to the U.S., Chief Executive Officer Khalid al-Falih said.

“We are already exporting more to China than to the U.S.,” he said today in an interview in Davos, Switzerland. “We are prudent and careful about where to invest but our eyes are focused on China and we will continue to look for all opportunities.”

The U.S. imported 1.014 million barrels of oil a day from Saudi Arabia in the nine months through September, according to the Energy Information Administration. China and Saudi Arabia aim to boost trade 50 percent to $60 billion by 2015, the state- owned Saudi Press Agency reported this month, citing Chinese Trade Minister Chen Deming.source

This is only one of the many indicators how China is increasingly becoming a competitor of the US. Although China is not near as strong as its American counterpart on many aspects (socially, politically, military), they are the world's only emerging power with the potential to challenge US global dominance and they are working hard to do so. To support their strong economic growth, they need to secure resources to fuel this growth. From South America to Africa and the Middle East, the Chinese have started investing heavily in energy and resource rich countries such as Angola. Angola has very significant oil reserves, which is exactly what China seeks to keep its economy running. In exchange for its black gold, China rebuilds the country's economy and infrastructure, which were heavily damaged by the civil war.

Despised by America and Israel, Iran is such a country that has the resources that China wants. Ranked third on world proven oil reserves with 137.6 billion barrels only behind Saudi-Arabia and Canada, Iran finds itself in a very comfortable position, but with the ruling powers being against them, to whom should they sell their oil? China does not back off from American pressure as America lacks the means to blackmail China politically or economically - the arms deal to Taiwan did not change their position and hence, they continue to trade with Iran and veto sanctions in contrast to most other countries. China, on the other hand, possesses US treasury bills worth billions of Dollars; after the Taiwan arms deal was announced, Chinese officers urged their government to use this financial weapon as retaliation against America. In other words, China has outgrown its position of being dependent on America, dependency is exactly what gives one control over another.




Iran has the potential to rival with Saudi-Arabia as one of the world's most significant oil exporters. Then why is that Iran needs to import gasoline like described in the article hereunder:

Why Is Iran Importing Gasoline?Other oil-rich nations don't have to.

Two weeks ago, Iran's parliament approved legislation aimed at controlling the ballooning cost of the country's gasoline imports by getting Iranians to drive less. This may seem odd, given that Iran has the world's third-largest oil reserves and used to give gasoline away for pennies per gallon. Why are they now importing fuel?

The country's aging and inefficient refineries can't meet its swelling demand for gasoline. Iran may be brimming with crude oil, but it can't convert enough of the raw product into refined fuels like diesel, kerosene, or gasoline. International sanctions and political pressure from the United States and other countries have discouraged multinational energy companies from making large-scale investments in Iran's infrastructure. Meanwhile, Iranian domestic energy policy—including heavy subsidies for gasoline—has encouraged waste and increased domestic demand.

Refineries don't come cheap: In the United States, it can cost billions of dollars to set up a brand-new facility. Iran might be able to put one together for less, given its more relaxed environmental regulations. But the Iranians would still need to make a huge investment to offset their high demand for gasoline and reduce the need for imports. Other countries draw development money from energy companies in exchange for market access. But many companies have shied away from making such deals with Iran. They face direct sanctions from the United States and United Nations, as well as political pressure discouraging involvement. More generally, Iran is known for a restrictive, bureaucratic business environment that can scare off investment.

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The above chart very clearly indicates the downfall of the oil production that came along with the Islamic revolution. Ever since, it has been very hard for them to develop and modernize their oil industry. Sanctions and an unstable political climate have made it hard to attract foreign investment. This was until China became an emerging power. Last week, the following chart came to my attention:



Unsurprisingly, it is not the Western oil corporations developing, but China's Sinopec and CNPC which are developing some of Iran's biggest oil fields, equalling tens of billions of investment.

July 30, 2009 —
Iran's recent invitation to Chinese oil companies and banks to invest $43 billion in Iran's oil industry was understandably dismaying to U.S. policymakers. After all, Tehran is attempting to trade access to its abundant oil and natural gas reserves for diplomatic support on its uranium enrichment program, and China's growing appetite for energy makes it vulnerable to such temptations.

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The above makes it very obvious that China is never going to abide sanctions on Iran, let alone back them. With a daily consumption of 6.93 billion barrels a day, their interest in Iran is so significant that their opposition of sanctions is very understandable. An attack on Iran would likely also target its oil industry and it would be interesting to see how China would react should an attack take place.


American interests at stake

American wealth is built on the Dollar, Marshall Help and the PetroDollar made the Dollar the world's reserve currency, making it a strong and stable currency. This was also an insurance that allowed America to have a deficit like no other country could, but everything has a limit. The deficit has spun out of control and investors are increasingly doubtful if America will ever be able to pay off its debts, which translates into the Dollar having weakened significantly. That's another story, discussing this in detail would be behind the scope of this thread.

Saudi-Arabia has been a close ally of America for long. Although their regime is not less extreme than its Iranian counter-part, they need America for its protection against its enemies, Iran being its arch-rival. In exchange for this military protection, the Saudi Royal House acts according to the wishes of America and has been a stable supplier of oil. However, the constant pressure on the Dollar has made oil-rich country considering to change from the PetroDollar to the stronger Euro, which would generate higher profits. Due to Saudi-Arabia's dependence on American protection, it could not consider such a move, but others could. Saddam Hussein attempted to undermine the dollar, or the tool of American dominance. He established an oil bourse that would trade Iraqi oil in Euros, instead of PetroDollars. I am personally of opinion that this was a reason for the invasion. America did not fear the oil bourse itself, rather the chance of other countries following Iraq's example and creating a domino effect. Some time ago, Iran did the same - its oil is traded in Euros. Although it has not yet seriously affected the PetroDollar, it will inevitably inflict serious pressure on the Dollar when Iran's oil industry becomes more developed. China has turned out to be the key to offer the financial needs for Iran to develop its oil industry while the Chinese are safeguarding their future oil supply.

Like I said before, Iran has so much potential that it could trigger a domino effect in the medium-term among other oil exporters due the constant downwards pressure on the Dollar and hence, their profits, which offer a grim outlook on the Dollar hegemony and it also shows that American dominance is corroding gradually. The fact that China, as an emerging power, has already surpassed America (as a developed power) in oil imports from Saudi-Arabia, shows how much growth potential China has. In the near future, China will become a more important importer of oil than America, with that US interests are at stake.

America does not only act conform the demands of Israel as some like to pretend, American supremacy is increasingly becoming jeopardized, making Iran not only an Israeli problem, but also an American problem that would effect every economy and every person. The West, and in particular Israel, find themselves in between a rock and a hard place as it does not seem that Iran can be stopped diplomatically. One thing is sure: Israel is never going to allow Iran to go nuclear and will not hesitate to utilize all means to destroy what they consider a threat to its existence, eventually I see no other option for America to join as there are no other solutions and the development of the Iranian economy would be futile to American dominance.

charts source

Thank you very much. Your post is one of the best (geo)political analysis on ATS.
Not so important second line ...

Pitiful to see this thread draws so little attention. I guess it is too long to read and catch people's interest.

Sino-Iranian relations and the growing West-East oil divide

Political pressure from Washington has, to a certain degree, motivated some of the world's largest oil traders to stop supplying gasoline to Iran in recent months. As a result, the crude-rich but gasoline-short country is looking for alternative supply partners such as China, a shift that has the potential to reshape the long-term international oil and gas political scene.

Although it holds the world's third largest oil reserves and is the fourth largest oil producer, Iran needs to import significant volumes of oil products to meet its rapidly rising demand. The pace of this demand growth has been boosted by large subsidies as a result of which the Iranian motorist pays some of the lowest gasoline prices in the world, typically about $0.50 per gallon, compared to nearly $3.00 per gallon in the US.

The recent decision by major oil traders to cease supply to Iran puts the country in a delicate position and highlights its dependency. However, the impact could be limited as Iran seeks alternative supply partners. Could these alternatives change the center of gravity in the oil and gas world?

For its part, China finds in Iran a permanent partner for its exports and a source of crude oil that services its growing energy appetite. China is already an active partner, with Chinese oil and gas companies investing large sums in Iran and signing ambitious contracts. This shows that not only do Western embargoes and political pressure have a limited impact; they could also be counter-productive as Iran succeeds in finding new partners in Asia while Western companies miss high-return business opportunities.

Instead, Western leaders should remember that, prior to the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran served their interests well in strategic and economic terms. The current policy of tightening the screw on the Iranian oil industry is unlikely to succeed either in throttling the Iranian economy or in destabilizing the government. In fact, as long as Chinese and other companies continue to do business there, US-led boycotts are likely to prove futile.

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This report pretty much confirms my view on the situation. I know that Shell was one of the top exporters of gasoline products to Iran, but they've also succumbed to pressure from AIPAC:

Monday, 15 Mar 2010

AP reported that Royal Dutch Shell Plc has stopped selling gasoline to Iran, the latest company to cease business with a country that is increasingly targeted by US encouraged sanctions.

Mr Rayiner Winzenried a Shell spokesman in The Hague said that "We do not currently sell any gasoline to Iran. He declined to say when the sales to Tehran were halted or to relate the move to the call for tighter sanctions.

The reports said that the Dutch Swiss traders Mr Vitol Holding BV and Mr Trafigura also have halted sales to Iran, as has Glencore International AG, another Swiss based commodities trader. The United States and its Western allies have been pushing for another round of UN sanctions to force Iran freeze its uranium enrichment program. Iran has repeatedly said its nuclear program is designed for peaceful purposes.

March 13, 2010

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is calling on the U.S. Congress to take several immediate steps in response to a New York Times report revealing that the federal government has awarded more than $107 billion in grants, contracts and other benefits to foreign and multinational U.S. companies conducting business in Iran.

In a rare move, the pro-Israel lobby has sent a sharply worded letter to every member of Congress calling for an investigation into why three successive administrations have failed under existing law to determine what companies have invested in the Iranian energy sector.

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[edit on 16-3-2010 by Mdv2]

According to twitter post's it sounds as if Iran is having a wild night, unable to translate stories though, any help?

English article here, but another one, in Iran that I cannot translate...


ncr-iran.org...

Absolutely brilliant thread. A great overview of the situation with a lot of solid facts and figures to back it up. This is why I come to ATS. Thanks

Iran Sanctions Are Failing. What's Next?


Has the U.S. abandoned plans to target the Iranian regime's access to banking and credit and to isolate Iranian air and shipping transport? While recent reports to that effect have been strenuously denied by the administration, it has become clear that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's promise of "crippling sanctions" and President Barack Obama's "aggressive" penalties are little more than talk. The administration simply cannot persuade a critical mass of nations to join with it.

After months of begging, China will agree only to discuss the possibility of a fourth U.N. Security Council resolution punishing Tehran's noncompliance with its nonproliferation commitments. But along with Russia, it has already ruled out any measures to target the regime or the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Even nonpermanent U.N. Security Council members Japan, Brazil and Turkey have reportedly rebuffed the administration requests to support tougher sanctions.

In the past few weeks, among other reported business with Iran, Turkey announced it was mulling a $5.5 billion investment in Iran's natural-gas sector. Iran and Pakistan signed a deal paving the way for the construction of a major pipeline. And a unit of China National Petroleum inked a $143 million contract with Iran's state-run North Drilling Company to deliver equipment for NDC's Persian Gulf oil fields.

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A great opportunity for the smaller foreign corporations to take their share of the Iranian oil and gas market. Like this article explains, there's never going to unanimous support for sanctions as there's too much too lose and too little to gain for countries such as China.

It's becoming obvious that sanctions are failing, exactly like the war games predicted. The title asks 'what's next'? Let us all hope it is not war.





[edit on 31-3-2010 by Mdv2]

I really hope war does not break out either. Although, it's bound to happen. Tensions, sanctions, economic collapse, and with China racing to the top of the world's super power, I believe, anytime now, war will break out and it will be WW3. Logically, I believe war will break out.

Israel will send its most senior military strategist to China this week to convince Beijing that it is serious about plans to bomb nuclear facilities in Iran if international sanctions fail to curb Tehran’s development of atomic weapons.

The visit, part of an intense round of diplomacy between China and Israel, follows signs that Beijing will shortly back tougher economic sanctions against Iran at the United Nations security council.

China, which has the power of veto, has previously resisted such a move. President Barack Obama held an hour-long telephone call with President Hu Jintao last week. Hu will now attend a nuclear security summit to be hosted by Obama next week in Washington.

Diplomatic observers have been astonished by the pace of Israeli diplomacy in China.
Major-General Amir Eshel, who heads the Israeli army’s planning directorate, will fly to Beijing this week. Eshel, an air force pilot, will warn China of the international consequences of military action, particularly the potential disruption to oil supplies on which much of China’s manufacturing and international trade depend. Tougher sanctions, he will argue, are the lesser of two evils.

...

The Israeli lobbying in Beijing has not gone unnoticed in Tehran. Last week Saeed Jalili, the senior Iranian nuclear negotiator, rushed to Beijing to warn the Chinese authorities that stepping up sanctions could cost them dearly.China relies on Iran as an oil supplier and trade partner and is the world’s second largest importer of crude oil.

Saudi Arabia, the biggest supplier of crude oil to China, recently promised to supply all the oil it needs at a cheaper rate than Iran in return for supporting sanctions.

This is a very interesting shift. It would not surprise me if Israel threatened China that it would bomb the entire petroleum industry of Iran into the stone age, if they do not support tougher sanctions. That would not just destroy their multi-billion investment, but for a long time to come, Iran would not be capable of supplying China with oil anymore.

Now what is really interesting here, is Saudi-Arabia. They are playing a very dirty game. They benefit from Israel striking Iran as they are considered a huge threat to Saudi stability not just in strategic terms, but also in economic terms. If China would be allowed to develop the Iranian petroleum industry, they could - like Iraq - become a serious competitor to challenge the Saudi monopoly on oil exports in the Middle East. They are playing a very very dirty game.



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[edit on 4-4-2010 by Mdv2]

reply to post by Mdv2


excellent topic
detailed and insightfull

good work star and flag

reply to post by illusive man


Thanks

China to send Iran gasoline

As UN mulls sanctions, Beijing fills void left by European firms.

SINGAPORE — A state-owned Chinese refiner plans to ship 30,000 metric tons of gasoline to Iran after European traders halted shipments ahead of possible new UN sanctions, according to Singapore ship brokers.

Beijing has growing commercial and political ties with Iran and has resisted US pressure for sanctions to press Teheran to abandon its nuclear program. Chinese officials say the country is entitled to energy trade.

Unipec, the trading arm of China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., or Sinopec, plans to load the oil tanker Hongbo with the gasoline Thursday in Singapore, said the brokers, who asked not to be identified further to avoid jeopardizing customer relations.

They said the tanker will likely go directly to Iran.

The gasoline shipment suggests Chinese refiners are moving to fill the void left by European suppliers, who halted sales to Iran earlier this year.

A deputy Chinese foreign minister, Cui Tiankai, said Tuesday that China is ready to discuss all ideas that UN Security Council members put forward to deal with Iran's nuclear program. But he said any agreement on Iran must involve all parties, not just one or two countries.

Cui said Iran's legitimate right to have energy trade with other countries should not be undermined as the world pursues a settlement of the nuclear standoff. Beijing's position on energy could make it more difficult for the United States and China to resolve differences on Iran.

Iran denies it intends to build an atomic bomb, and despite widespread concern about its intentions, President Barack Obama is having difficulty getting agreement on a new set of UN sanctions. He said Tuesday that his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, assured him that Beijing would participate in drafting sessions at the United Nations on strong sanctions.

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Only one week ago, China announced it would back tougher sanctions on Iran and it remains unknown if they will really put the money where the mouth is and even if they do, it turns out to be beneficial. Why? Alike the exploration and development of Iranian oil and gas fields, China is gaining a monopoly position on trade with Iran. While Western companies are sidelined by these sanctions, Chinese companies take advantage of this manipulated lack of (Western) competition.

Sorry to burst your bubble dude but thats not the case - here is the TRUTH - plain and simple...

The Us military has been on board with the reality of global warming for almost thirty years - thats their job - dealing with imminent threats to America - so believe it.

The solution to global warming is nuclear - basically fast burning nuclear reactors are able to burn the waste from current reactors and leave NO WASTE - they are our only hope.

China is developing methane hydrates.

The reason for the Iranian sanctions is NOT NUCLEAR WEAPONS - they will not develop them, have no intention of developing them and everyone who knows - knows this. Its a fact. THEY HAVE NO NUCLEAR AMBITIONS !

What they do want is nuclear independence - and this is significantly worse than anything. The number one issue in world power and dominance is control of the source of - well - power - and that is going to be nuclear.

I appreciate your efforts - but your off the mark.

The US and UK / France / Germany have been developing what are termed BLACK BOX nuclear reactors - these are tamper proof nuclear reactors which simply plug into the grid - run for 20 years - and are then replaced.

I kid you not - this is the true underlying reason WHY Iran is being sancitoned - they do not want them developing the technology to be self sufficient in energy production.

The opening of this post mentioned the US military recognition of global warming - that should be the best sign for any doubter - but - the reality is that coal is going to be stopped - and should be - within the next 5 years. For humanities survival it has to be.

Australia has infinite supplies of geo-thermal energy - while China / Russia both have methane hydrates - the rest will be relying on Nuclear.

Sorry to burst your bubble - you must have put some effort into that......and on the surface it is all correct - its just that there is more than meets the eye to whats going on - now you know.

Dont feel dismayed - i spent two years and thousands of dollars on a masters degree to find that sht out.....

Thanks.

reply to post by audas


Any sources?

reply to post by audas


Any sources?

reply to post by audas


I like that analysis, it seams to explain some of the incongruities in the surface explanation for ongoing events and that's not to take away from the original posters hypothesis which had me sold.

I fear the use of methane hydrates, especially by the Chinese and Russians not wanting to be offensive but QC is not a strong point of theirs and a big release could be catastrophic, it might regulate a global warming caused natural release though.

Recent tensions between China and the West are likely a sign of things to come. Western policymakers will have to get used to it.

Recent diplomatic and economic disputes between China and the West have caught many by surprise. It wasn’t all that long ago that China could do no wrong. Besides its seemingly unstoppable economic growth, the country was said to be acquiring soft power, earning respect and charming its way around the world. Its leaders were regarded as smart, sophisticated and far-sighted. Its diplomats were praised as diligent, knowledgeable and smooth.

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Very informative posts Mdv2 on the geo-politics of Middle East. This thread didn't get the attention it deserves, I applaud the info. you have put forth with careful screening and illustrations.

The Battlefield of The Sino-American Struggle for Power?? So America has to struggle now for power? Sad! A once invincible super power has now to struggle for power!! Oh jeeez! Where's America heading?

Yes, it's started to stagnate. And then a once great civilization will start to decline like the great Roman Empire! The others are catching up fast and how! Another 50 years China, Russia, and India will be the new super powers.

You see, America has people of the intellect of Bush, Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and scores more like them who are now at the helm of affairs. Intellectual bankruptcy, corruption, greed, vested interests, politics that suck! That's America of today.

An excellent thread.