Ivory Coast War

[thejuice]

Some African nations, which were the creation of the colonial powers, were not prepared to govern themselves upon independence, and this has now manifested itself in continual civil wars, unstable governments which are embedded with bribery and corruption, nepotism, and mismanagement of their economies.


Also I don't think people are annoyed that Western governments aren't stepping in, rather that Western governments just can't be honest about why they are stepping in.

Oil is the most precious commodity on the planet right now and it's production is about to go into terminal decline. He who holds the most of the reserves holds all the aces. Modern society is built on oil and it's decline will have a massive on just about everyone (except the Amish perhaps).

You also have to consider that whatever alternative energy economy comes next will have to be built within the existing fossil fuel economy. So whoever doesn't have control over fossil fuels will be left behind and at the mercy of those who do. With that in mind, as much as I hate to sound alarmist, but the next energy source whatever it is, is going to fall short of current demand so there will be a degree of shrinkage for some.

From this perspective the USA have made all the right moves in the middle east. They have secured the route for natural gas pipelines through Afghanistan and Iraqi oil is secure. They have control over most of the Caspian after the Balkans war. The only one left is Iran, who seems to want to sell to anyone but the USA.

To think that Western governments would spend millions on an armed intervention purely on humanitarian reasoning is incredibly naive.
They wouldn't cancel national debts to save millions of lives but will spend millions to save a few thousand (at the most) Libyans?? Come off it!

[LeoMc]

Some African nations, which were the creation of the colonial powers, were not prepared to govern themselves upon independence, and this has now manifested itself in continual civil wars, unstable governments which are embedded with bribery and corruption, nepotism, and mismanagement of their economies.


Also I don't think people are annoyed that Western governments aren't stepping in, rather that Western governments just can't be honest about why they are stepping in.

Oil is the most precious commodity on the planet right now and it's production is about to go into terminal decline. He who holds the most of the reserves holds all the aces. Modern society is built on oil and it's decline will have a massive on just about everyone (except the Amish perhaps).

You also have to consider that whatever alternative energy economy comes next will have to be built within the existing fossil fuel economy. So whoever doesn't have control over fossil fuels will be left behind and at the mercy of those who do. With that in mind, as much as I hate to sound alarmist, but the next energy source whatever it is, is going to fall short of current demand so there will be a degree of shrinkage for some.

From this perspective the USA have made all the right moves in the middle east. They have secured the route for natural gas pipelines through Afghanistan and Iraqi oil is secure. They have control over most of the Caspian after the Balkans war. The only one left is Iran, who seems to want to sell to anyone but the USA.

To think that Western governments would spend millions on an armed intervention purely on humanitarian reasoning is incredibly naive.
They wouldn't cancel national debts to save millions of lives but will spend millions to save a few thousand (at the most) Libyans?? Come off it!

There is a lot of talk of the potential of wave and wind energy and how Ireland is ideally placed, geographically, to capitalise on these. Does this put us in the firing line to get invaded / taken over?

[LeoMc]

Too late, the Germans already have....

[thejuice]

No, the Sahara may soon be Europe's solar power station.

http://www.desertec.org/en/global-mission/focus-region-eu-mena/

--> which funnily enough needed Gaddafi's support

http://www.neweuropeaneconomy.com/Site_Content/FDI/Clear_Conscience_%96_Libya%92s_New_Power_Struggle/


From what I've read into this, and the talks I've seen, we can't produce wind-turbines, water-turbines, solar panels fast enough to pick up the slack of the reduced amount of fossil fuels, not to mention the fossil fuels burned in order to build/transport/install said devices. 

The most dire predictions I saw about a year ago said we should have started this work in the 70's. Hey, anyone remember Jimmy Carters speech?

Another factor is the fact that we don't have enough raw materials to turn too electric cars. Some estimates reckon there simply isn't enough Lithium to go around and unfortunately the bit we did have we put in batteries for all the little trinkets that we don't actually need like playstations, mobile phones, i-pods etc.

Now maybe Carbon batteries might work, it's probably our best bet. Mind you there's still plenty of coal in the ground.

[Hardy]

What ever happened to the lads who "invented" cold fusion of sea water. Sure that's the answer - get them lads back into the lab.

[thejuice]

You mean Morgan Freeman and Keanu Reeves?