OIL, the Almighty Juice That We All Love to Drink

FIRST, let me say these guys can be “weird, uncool or totally crazy,” right? And you may agree... Vladimir Putin of Russia. The late Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Saddam Hussein of Iraq. Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. The Leadership of China...

       Now let's look what could be one major reason why these guys misbehave based in how we look at them from our angle. They got power. The number 1 producer of oil globally is Russia. This country produces 10.9 million barrels of crude per day. Fourth in the Top Ten is China, 5^th is Iran, 8^th is Venezuela, and 10^th is Iraq. The leadership of the rest of world powers based on oil: Saudi Arabia (2^nd), Canada (6^th), United Arab Emirates (7^th), and Kuwait (9^th)--all friendly to us. The US is #3 producer. Imagine if these bad dudes who we see as enemies of Uncle Sam can only sit down with us and give us more oil based on how much we'd like to buy `em? Since America is the number 1 consumer of oil... Then we are seeing a better world, less wars. Everybody partying! And we will all just be whining why the Kardashians are still on primetime TV.

EXTRACTION or diggings of crude in California and Texas, complemented by the construction of railroads from the east to the west, accentuated the Great American Industrial Revolution, plus acquisition of overseas territories via wars, elevated the US as a world power. The initial railways in the east were jointly built by mostly veteran soldiers of both Union and Confederate armies and “freed” African-American slaves. The west side was put up by generally Mormon workers (from Utah), Chinese immigrants, and Mexican workers. When east and west railways linked up, automobile manufacturing (ie Ford) was on the upswing, rest is history.... Somewhere in President Obama's administration, he utilized oil reserves in the west to lessen oil importation but media hardly took this up. Meantime, China's communism/socialism, based on Mao Zedong, hinged on agriculture than factories (as in USSR then). So when China softened on agrarian matters after the Tiananmen Square Revolt in early 90s and consequently joined WTO (under Bill Clinton's government), and went into manufacturing/factories, they evolved into universal economic powerdome. In industry, oil is god. And where there is Industry, there is Steel. Number one manufacturer of Steel? China. Second is Japan, 4^th is India, 5^th is South Korea, 6^th Russia. United States is 3^rd... The dude who owns ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaking company? Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, he is based in the United Kingdom.
       So why can't we get along in the name of progress? I reiterate (and copy-paste what I wrote above), based on historical records, railways linking America from east to west and transport of oil and stuff to and fro in the mainland—accentuated the US' might and power, and better lives to its people then. How did that happen? The railways in the east were jointly built by mostly veteran soldiers of both Union and Confederate armies and “freed” African-American slaves. The west side was put up by generally Mormon workers (from Utah), Chinese immigrants, and Mexican workers. They co-existed for common good. So let us respect people's ways and creed and work as one. And if world powers just hook up, agree with equal exchange of resources and workforce, and chill over beers and tea on breaktime, and quit pissing each other off—then we have a peaceful world and nonstop fun!
       PAUSE of my day's rant and rumination, LOL!

Our Love, Our Focus, Our Humanity: A Universal Heart for The Refugee

WHILE we lavish Mr Trump with super-attention, and while we eActivists squeeze social media blood out of a dead refugee child on a seashore far away—still, thousands of migrants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan flood through central Europe's borders desperately seeking shelter. Meantime, a vicious tug-of-war between European governments ensues and so border crossings are shut, bridges are blocked and barbed-wire fences are erected in a bid to muffle down the onslaught of distressed humanity. What irony! These are not flesh-hungry zombies, these are human beings...

       What has current US presidentiables gotta say about this? Can America and the Allies say they don't have anything to do with Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan—especially Iraq and Afghanistan? Wasn't it just few years ago when we actually mightily took out their leadership and installed our own “friendly” government and “reconstructed” their fault or faulted economy and society?
       Backgrounder to those who may not know. With its 143.1 billion barrels of proved oil reserves, Iraq ranks second in the world behind Saudi Arabia in the amount of oil reserves. Meantime, Afghanistan is the world's primary producer of opium poppy. Recently, all legal and llegal production of this crop increased considerably, surpassing 5,000 tons in 2002 and reaching 8,600 tons in Afghanistan and 840 tons in the Golden Triangle (Burma, Laos, Thailand) in 2014. Production is expected to increase in 2015 as new, improved seeds have been brought into Afghanistan. The World Health Organization has estimated that current production of opium would need to increase fivefold to account for total global medical need.
       Syria was a major producer of high-grade oil since the late 60s but declined heavily in the late 90s. But then Iran, a known nemesis of the US, is very friendly with Syria. Iran is the world's 5^th largest producer of oil. The US is the third-ranked producer but we are also the first in terms of consuming them—yet we don't really want to mess up our environment by digging more oil (yet we emit them as well in gargantuan carbon footprints).
       Just showing you how important Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan to us. Anybody wants to drive a block to CVS to get Prozac supply, or two blocks to Walmart for a pack of Trust condoms, or 3 miles to Westville Pub for handcrafted beers? Think Iraqis and Afghanis. Don't think about those lunatic leaders that we love to hate because we can easily take them out anyway. Think about those weeping and shrieking and hungry and cold refugees who were the bodies and souls working their land so that we could have what we need in excess—in exchange for roof over their head and food on the table. Do I even say iPods and iPads, cable TV and Netflix? I don't think these people know what an iPhone app or who the Kardashians are.
       Will those gruesome photos of dead refugees that we post on our Facebook walls matter in the long run? Death happens everyday. From a sidestreet of Detroit or South LA, a child got shot by a wayward driveby shooting, drug-related. In the south of the Philippines, victims of Typhoon Haiyan are still mourning their dead and strengthening nipa huts with bamboo stilts as new typhoons threaten. Bombs are still falling somewhere because somewhere people misbehave and defy the orders of the Masters of the Universe.
       All presidential hopefuls in all Allied countries should talk about what's going on outside their comfortable fences. I mean, Croatia—of all countries, tiny Croatia—just took in 20,000 refugees since Wednesday. The Croatia leadership is yelling for help. What is the European Union and Washington and Beijing and Russia doing? Making sure that the One Percent's business interests don't get ruffled by this grieving humanity?
       And what we the people can do? Well, we can do a lot—but we can start by simply walking or carpooling to Target or Ingles. Or better yet, let's talk about laughter and don't say “No, the mercury gatorade messed up my fridge so I am in a funk!” because you forgot your pills. And if I insist, I'd be the same inane pasckie—arrogant, rude, insensitive jerk who don't care about stuff because I don't drive a car and fine with ramens as dinner.
       I digress. Time for my midday coffee.