₦airaland Forum

[quote author=dell_net link=topic=615127.msg7868993#msg7868993 date=1299577130]thanks cap28 the clip is educative. I just realized somethings in comparison to Nigeria.[/quote]you're welcome, what did you realise about nigeria?

he describes brainwashing as psychological warfare and defines it as follow:

"the ability to change the perception of reality to such an extent that despite the abundance of information no-one is able to come to sensible conclusions in the interests of defending themselves, their famililes, their communities and their country".

He goes on to say that it is a great brainwasing process which occurs over a minimum of 15 to 30 years (a generation), he says its divided into four basic stages: demoralisation, destabilisation, crisis and finally normalisation.

mekula and dell net it is very difficult to have a meaningful discussion about anything with a person who has been completely brainwashed by the propaganda of the western media, to some extent i think it is even futile because that person is now so far gone that there is nothing you can say that will enable them to be able to apply critical thinking to any scenario, watch this and see how a former KGB agent describes how the american media copied the former soviet union's practice of brainwashing in order to keep the russian people docile and ignorant:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeMZGGQ0ERk

interesting video about who controls the western corporate media and why no intelligent person would ever trust anything it churns out:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WolO3w2Fr60&feature=player_embedded

debosky:
Unless Russians can clearly identify armed protesters (i.e see ak 47s and the like) from space, you CANNOT claim any satellite monitoring can clearly distinguish protesters from those who are armed.

so what about the fact that the russian satellite systems confirmed that there was  no record of any air activity over libya whatsoever during the period that the alleged attacks by gadaffi were supposed to have taken place?

There is no legitimacy in the Ghaddafi government - if he wanted to be legitimate, he has had over 40 years to organise elections and get a mandate from his people.

well in that case i hope you are also advocating the toppling of the Saudi Royal family who have been in power since 1932

The government has zero legitimacy - it rules by force and terror and has no mandate from Libyans.

i can name several govts around the world that rule in a similar fashion why arent you calling for those govts to be toppled - nigeria happens to be one of such govts you know.

What poverty has he liberated them from? Are they richer than Gulf states that make similar incomes with smaller populations?

Why do you expect them to be richer than gulf states that according to you make similar income with smaller populations, surely if these gulf states are making almost the same amout of revenue as Libya but have smaller population, of course the per capita income in those countries will be greater than in Libya.

One thing i do know though is that Libya is the 12th largest oil exporter - and unlike other african oil producing countries Libya uses its oil revenues for the benefit of the Libyan people.

Libya has a population of about 6m - with the oil exports of over 1.5million barrels a day, they should be as rich as the UAE that has a similar population and oil production level - you are comparing Libya to the wrong countries.

Libya should be far ahead of where it is today and has been held back primarily by Ghaddafi, who uses the resources to sponsor terrorism everywhere, from Northern Ireland, to Chad, to Lockerbie.

What you have is a country that should be one of the richest in the World being happy they are the best in Africa? That is a joke.

No libya has been held back because it was subjected to almost 10 years of economic sanctions imposed on it by america and britain, despite this it was able to make a quick recovery and begin the rebuilding of its economy.

nigeria is an oil producing country which can not even boast of being the best in africa, let alone in the world and this is despite its huge oil revenues.  Therefore the fact that Libya has been able to provide the basics for its people is something that we should recognise and commend Gadaffi for, our own leaders have failed woefully in this regard.

Mariory:
O the response should be interesting.

And also what a question!

still awaiting your substantiated evidence regarding airstrikes by gadaffi on unarmed protesters.

debosky:
From 'no airstrikes' taking place to being against 'armed' rebels?

Just what did the Russians claim did/didn't happen?

Just what is 'legitimate' about a government run by a despot that overthrew a monarchy?

not so fast "einstein", the first alleged airstrikes were said to have been made by Gaddaffi's airforce against UNARMED PROTESTERS  - an allegation which has since been REFUTED BY RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE WHO WERE MONITORING ALL AIR ACTIVITY OVER LIBYA FROM SPACE - watch the clip of the video link from russia tv that i attached.

Now since THAT ALLEGED ATTACK there have been air strikes by Gadaffi's airforce which have been launched against ARMED REBELS who are seeking to overthrow a legitimate govt

Now let me ask you this - if a group of armed rebels mounted an armed insurrection on police stations and military installations in the US or the UK - what do you think the respective govts of those countries would do? woudl they

sit back and allow the armed rebels to take over a legitimate govt or

defend and try to overpower this attempt to overthrow a legitimate govt?

can you explain to me why you feel that an unelected monarch installed by a former colonial power (britain) has more legitimacy to rule over the people of Libya than a revolutionary leader who succeeded in liberating hiis people from colonial oppression and poverty?

Are you aware that Libya has the lowest infant mortality rate in Africa and the highest life expectancy rate? 
Are you aware that earlier this year  in response to the world's rising food prices around the world, Gadaffi abolished ALL taxes on food in order to make food more affordable for his people?

Finally are you aware that Libya has the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the whole of africa?

Wealth in Libya is distributed equally - all of this was acheived under the supposed despot Muammar Gaddaffi, therefore im at a loss as to why you think he should be kicked out.

mariory still waiting for you to furnish me with evidence based on substantiated facts - given the certainty of your stance this shouldnt be too hard for you to do, should it?

Mariory:
Common you must have been smiling to yourself while writing that nonsense. I mean seriously can you really be this clueless? There is so much in that rant of yours that suggests you may actually be insane. For example,

I mean. . .how can there not be something clinically wrong with your mind?

The man you are trying so hard to defend here with made up stories does not even agree with your own fantasies. Hes' own made up stories about fanatical Islamists are way more realistic than that produced by your handicapped mind. And yet he is the one recruiting foreigners to come kill his own people. The same people he claims to love so much. Don't let that get in the way of your movie though. *Mr secret agent man*

prove it to me with substantiated evidence that Gadaffi is according to you " recruiting foreigners to kill his own people" prove it to me - i want SUBSTANTIATED EVIDENCE BASED ON FACT NOT HEARSAY -

look forward to hearing from you.

debosky:
This is a joke - even the Libyans have not denied making the airstrikes - they've simply said those airstrikes were made against military targets or to scare the 'rebels'.

What about the strikes that we have seen aircraft making ON TV with our own two eyes? Did the Russians deny those ones also taking place?

There's nothing worse than having a preconceived notion and being completely BLIND to the evidence available from a multitude of sources.

were those airstrikes launched by Gadaffi made on UNARMED CIVILLIAN PROTESTERS or ARMED REBELS seeking to overthrow a legitimate govt?

Mariory:
Actually, you being lobotomised would make sense except for the fact that you would practically be a vegetable. No that's not it. Something else is wrong with your head. This is demonstrated by your ability to create and live in a make believe world much like that shown in movies.

The man you are trying so hard to defend here with made up stories does not even agree with your own fantasies. Hes' own made up stories about fanatical Islamists are way more realistic than that produced by your handicapped mind. And yet he is the one recruiting foreigners to come kill his own people. The people he claims to loves so much. But, don't let that get in the way of your movie.

kindly set out for me the evidence that you have relied on - please, i would really like to see SUBSTANTIATED EVIDENCE PROVING that Gadaffi strafed his own people.

er kobojunkie im still waiting,

^^^^^

can you set out in plain english what it is about the above article that led you to the conclusion that it is according to you "crazy crazy vomit"

Mariory:
Never knew the fall of Ghadaffi would force so many mental midgets to depart from reality. Quite comical. Ghadaffi is blaming the revolt on Islamists fanatics and al-Qaeda. Some retards on nairaland are blaming it on the West. Some super retards on nairaland are blaming it on Western media.

You couldn't make this crap up if you tried. It's like a bad comedy.

I would be inclined to agree with you IF I had just undergone a full frontal lobotomy - but i havent, you see unlike you my brain is in full working order, as a result i am able to process information, analyse it and apply critical thinking, skills which are way beyond your reach.

Discussions like these become mentally and physically challenging for you, your "brain" which has been running way below the capacity of a fully functioning adult brain for so many years goes into panic mode because it simply can not cope with the depth and intellectual content of the information being fed to it.

International politics is not for everyone and you have shown from your limited ability to grasp basic political concepts that you fall into that category therefore run along and find something else to do with the vast amount of time you have on your hands - try mast.urbation it might just help to unclog the sludge that is lodged in between your ears which you have succeeded in convincing yourself is a brain.

Mariory:
Never knew the fall of Ghadaffi would force so many mental midgets to depart from reality. Quite comical. Ghadaffi is blaming the revolt on Islamists fanatics and al-Qaeda. Some retards on nairaland are blaming it on the West. Some super retards on nairaland are blaming it on Western media.

You couldn't make this crap up if you tried. It's like a bad comedy.

You are so dumb it's unreal. Seriously, do you sometimes find yourself laughing when you "think" up some of your horse-crap?

There is no fool like a blind deaf and dumb fool that sleepwalks through life.

The above phrase describes you to a tee. Not only are you infinitely s.tupi.d but you completly lack any iota of self awareness, it is laughable that a certified dunce who has never uttered anything meaningful about international politics since i have been on NL would have the audacity to criticise another person's view point.

You have been stumbling blindly through life,thinking you know what you are talking about but actually sounding like someone with learning difficulties, all your life you have relied on information given to you by people who have a vested interest in bringing about your demise and yet you take their word as gospel, what a shame.

Do you realise that you are trapped in a hellish existence in which you are continually anally rap.ed by your leaders who collude with western powers to make your life a living hell, do you realise that you are about as important to them as a speck of dust on their shirts? Do you know that as far as they are concerned you are a non person, you dont exist and yet in your dumb confused mind you STILL havent been able to work out that you are being lied to.

No wonder Henry Kissinger said that population reduction must start in africa, at first i thought he was a racist megalomaniac but now i see he has a point, is there any reason why the world needs more useless eaters like Mariory on this planet?

The reason your "brain" is finding it difficult to process the information on this thread is because you have spent your whole life living like a man on a life support machine- you have been fed intravenously a diet of lies, distortions and misrepresentations and now in your confused and semi conscious state you actually think that everyone else is as mentally incapacitated as yourself.

You have been provided with just enough "education" to enable you cross a road without getting knocked over by a car , go to the toilet without soiling yourself, dress yourself unaided and eat and drink without spilling the food on yourself - fine if you live in nigeria but infinitely dangerous if you live in the western world, thank god you are trapped in nigeria and out of harms way because believe me you could not survive one day in a civilised society.

What makes your situation all the more tragic is this illusion that you have in your pea brain that you actually make sense when you open your mouth.

Let me break it to you slowly - your limited "education" and ignorance of world issues, has severly crippled and limited your understanding of the world hence your shock, suprise and incredulity about everything on this thread.

The articles that i have referred to on this thread are written by some of the most knowledgeable, erudite minds in the world - are you familiar with the works of Michael Parenti, Webster Tarpley, Noam Chomsky, Tariq Ali, Michael Engdahl or Michael Hudson?

Let me guess? No

well they are some of the world's most renowned academics, historians, political scientists and social commentators, these are people who are authorities on american foreign policy - these are people who are well aware of america's terrible track record with regard to the third world, above all these are men whose opinions are respected worldwide by scholars and fellow academics, these are the people who i go to for knowledge and information therefore why would i care what a certified dunce likes you thinks about my opinions.

So my advice to you is this, it is not compulsory for you to comment on issues that your sieve like brain can not understand therefore feel free to skip over topics that are way out of your depth and leave the complicated stuff to enlightened minds - thanks.

[s][quote author=bk.babe97y link=topic=616372.msg7854267#msg7854267 date=1299380260]Thanks! lol

The "tribalism" comment tho, was it referring to original post  or the scrapping going on now btwn me and the "sheep" up there? If its to the OP I, humbly, ask :" can you (and I ask you with all sincerity) show me ONE,JUST ONE, thing that was, without with being tinged with humor, tribalism. The only wise crack I made was towards Eziachi. Beaf as Squealer? I doubt you could defend that without getting convicted here in Naira Land Court? Your trial wouldnt even last 10mins and the jury will return a verdict without leaving the pew! Whole trial---between start and when a verdict is returned? 10:48secs ---FLAT!!! I'm that confident. So, we agree with that.

Next was referring to the Ibos as the "hens whose eggs kept getting taking". You surely cant say my characterization can be described as an example of "tribalism". The pigs lived fat off the eggs of the chickens. The chickens were being underfed. They werent treated right. They revolted. They broke the eggs instead of letting the pigs continue reaping where they did not sow. Owing to the vicious nature of the pigs and how they killed with impunity; the hens felt they were as good as dead. They probably figured death was better than living as slaves and being fed scraps off the proceeds of what belonged to them in the first place! But what did the Pigs do? Did they kill the Hens for sabotaging the egg collection? fUXcks no! If there pigs were anything, they werent silly! Nobody kills the goose that lays the golden egg! So, what did they do? THEY BASICALLY, "BLOCKADED" THE HENS, STARVED THEM INTO SUBMISSION UNTIL THE HENS WERE FORCED TO GIVE UP AND START GIVEN EGGS TO THE PIGS AGAIN! STARVED THEM TILL THEY GOT WHAT THEY GOT! The Hens gave up, but in snippets as the book goes on, u'll see the hens express bitterness. You can tell theyre probably wishing they were stronger and could take on not just the Pigs, but even the rest of the animals cus they probably blamed them for not standing up to the Pigs when they (hens) revolted.

Now, replace the following:


Eggs: Oil

Hens: Ibos

Pigs: Hausa/Yoruba/Rest of Nigeria

Revolt/Blockade/Starvation: Civil War.


You can even go on and pretend the Hens had a Leader named Ojukwu! Dont blame me, I'm usually one with a book when Im reading it. But I'm sure u get it.

Now, apart from those three examples I just refrred to, can you show me ONE HINT OF TRIBALISM IN THE ORIGINAL POST? .

Matter fact, use those 3 examples too. Show me one hint of tribalism, because I honestly fail to see it.[/quote][/s]


PURE GIBBERISH - Its time for the men in white coats to return you to your secure unit, don't you think?

Sefago said:

You have reduced the diverse themes in animal farm into one thesis. That is your underlying and fallacious assumption. Moreover, what drove marxism if not the greed of the Russian Monarchy? To build upon his general criticsm of marxism, Orwell had to sketch characters that represented all the vices that plague human kind, vices of greed, of hatred, of group think (something that is common in all forms of government from democracy all the way to fascism and monarchy). Thats is where the universality of literature comes from and that is why they are termed the humanities because they are reflection of human behavior both the good, the bad and the ugly.

Also its not "thinly disguised"- the only reason it was easy to interpret as a cirticism of marxism was because it was written during that era and because Orwell was very vocal about his opinion of Stalin's Government. If Orwell had lived in the 20th century, his work could easily have been paralleled towards the imperialism and paternalism of first world nations towards developing nations by an astute observer.

Try again. I am seriously disappointed.

Self aggrandisement and narcissim are unattractive traits, however they are usually displayed by people who are genuinely intelligent not delusional wannabes like you, therefore my advice to you is stop pretending to be clever because the only person you are fooling is yourself.

Orwell did not have to "build" upon his criticism of marxism by creating characters that represented all the vices known to man because that was not the objective of this work, Orwell was pre occupied with highlighting the evils of totalitarinism - that was his specfiic message and objective in animal farm.  Your simplistic analogy attempts to gloss over and reduce a complicated story about a failed revolution to some braindead simplistic comparison about basic human frailties.

Orwell had no need  to sketch , create or build on any of his characters because Animal Farm was not a work of fiction it was a factual account of a failed utopia.  As a matter of fact the subject matter of animal farm was regarded as so obvious and so controversial it was banned in eastern europe until 1989.  If the book were merely a general story about universal human frailities why was it seen as such a threat by the eastern bloc govts?

Your last sentence betrays your ignorance because Orwell DID actually live in the 20th century and he dealt with britain's imperialism and paternalism towards its former colony Burma in his book "Shooting Elephants".

Next time try understanding a topic before posting - thanks.

spade:
Of course not - Why would anyone want to 'best' you in your show of stark illiteracy and stupidity? Keep up with the basement-dwelling, monkeyboy. Unfortunately, nobody's interested.


LMAO!! This just confirms you're a clueless pawn afterall. Let me get something straight - you actually think I'm new here? Little boy, I've been here since 2005, and ran on sooo many IDs cuz I was just so 'terrible' as some would put it. Boost your brain up to speed and check the older pages of the Politics section. I've actually been here before you. Forget say I just dey use this ID which was actually given to me by a friend.
Infact, your friend Ileke-Idi (FL Gators) is even in a better position to tell you who I am, cuz in the Romance section, I actually moonlighted under the handle with the initials of 'AB' and another with just the initial 'O' - and I was banned on a regular basis cuz I gave them so much hell. Haha! So I should be telling you, dumbo!

hahaha bro you crack me up.

This creature is a product of america's sub underclass, its brain was damaged at birth as a result of its mother's addiction to crack cocaine hence its feeble and failed attempt to engage in intellectual debate.

it can not converse at a civil level without resorting to profanity, which is a symptom of extensive arrested development.

After an encounter with these types of creatures you start to understand why the eugenics programme was introduced in the united  states - long live eugenics and may new and ingenius methods be found to sterilise welfare queens and other burdens on society.

SEFAGO:
Actually cap28, I could analyze the works of Marx, Plato, Machiavelli at age 2. Just because you were sucking your thumb at that age does not mean all of us should.

wow im so impressed, how come after all of that you've still ended up serving fries in micky dees, or let me guess in between your breaks do you discuss and analyse plato, machiavelli and marx with your customers?

I bet your colleagues at micky dees get a real kick out of listening to you quoting plato, i can just imagine the looks on the faces of your customers when you reel off all the names of some of THEIR greatest philosophers and writers  - they must think you are a genius.

You know what would really blow them away dude? if you could analyse the works of great african thinkers and writers.
I can assure you that if you could do that their respect for you would know no bounds, try it sometime.

so,  as i was saying,  timid puppet GEJ is now being compared to one of the world's most brutal mass murderers and dictators - Stalin (napoleon)  -  wonders shall never end!!!!

And Awolowo a rabid tribalist has now been elevated to the status of Karl Marx - a man who beleived in the equality of all men and who championed the cause of an egalitarian society - funny, last time i checked, Awo was responsible for championing the cause of starvation as a legitimate weapon of war against a marginalised people, i reckon Awo had about as much beleif in egalitarianism as Babangida has in sincere leadership, transparency, honesty and justice.

bkbabe you are not intellectually equipped to analyse or discuss animal farm because you have no understanding or knowledge of world history, do you know anything about marxist leninism? No

do you know anything about the russian revolution? No

do you know anything about trotskyism versus stalinism? no

how then can anyone in their right mind have a meaningful discussion with you about the book?

If you have not understood the book (which i know  you have never read) where is your analysis coming from, where is your well thought out argument coming from?

let me guess - OUT OF YOUR BACKSIDE - lets face it man you are an anti- intellectual philistine - go and look it up cos i know you don't know what it means.

[quote author=bk.babe97y link=topic=616372.msg7853450#msg7853450 date=1299366254]1. If Gen.Buhari has "never sought to overthrow the ruling elite", what do you call his '83 coup?

2. You say he's a "member of the ruling elite", is that in dispute? What was Snowball? What are the Pigs? Did I not label all of them, good or bad (depending on your views), as members of the ruling elite?

I really hope you dont think of reproducing in the future![/quote]You are an example of why it is important for people to stay in school, first of all you have the reading and comprehension ability of a 2 year old , therefore to attempt to even discuss and analyse a work as complex as animal farm is like expecting a mentally handicapped 2 year old to analyse Das Kapital, YOU ARE A FUNCTIONAL ILLITERATE, LEAVE INTELLECTUAL DISCUSSIONS TO YOUR BETTERS AND CONCENTRATE ON WHAT YOU KNOW BEST GANGSTA RAP AND GANG BANGING.

SEFAGO:
Low IQ is definitely a major problem in Nigeria  

@cap28
There is something in literauture called universalism of a body of work. This universalism indicates that some works are so timeless that they could find application and meaning to any society and to any time. Animal farm is one of those books. When drawing an analogy it is not required that the characters should be fit for fit in characteristics, I think its fairly ok, if there are some general similarities in the characteristics and ideologies of constructed character parallels.

The fact that most people are seeking a match for match parallel between the book (one written to satire communism) and the Nigerian situation (one of deep rot and corruption) is quite to put it bluntly daft.

Yes i would agree with you on that because you are the living embodiment of it.

first of all a literary work can only have a universal appeal if it deals with basic themes which apply to ALL people irrespective of race, culture language etc for example themes like, love, courage, hatred, greed.

Animal Farm does not fit into that mode it is a thinly disguised account of Stalin's brutal dictatorial regime  - it deals with a specific issue - the failure of marxism.

the idea that Awolowo could be compared to Karl Marx (old major ) is beyond ridiculous, what was his ideology?  
Is there such a thing as Awoism, i would welcome a defintion of what it is.

GEJ as Stalin (Napoleon)  probably if you were living in a parallel universe - GEJ is a puppet and a servant of neo liberal capitalism - how then can he be compared to a socialist revolutionary (Stalin)  

Buhari as Trotsky (snowball) - i dont think so - in as much as Buhari may be less corrupt than the likes of GEJ, obj and co he has never sought to overthrow the ruling elite and is not a revolutionary, that makes him a member of the ruling elite.

If ever anyone were to be compared to Trotsky it shuld be Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu - like Trotsky he was intelligent, articulate, innovative but an IDEALIST,   traits shared by Trotsky.

perhaps the only comparison that might be halfway accurate would be that of squealer and the nigerian media who lie, bamboozle and mislead the nigerian people with propaganda and fake stories.

How on earth can the current political situation in nigeria be compared to the allegorical story of animal farm?

first of all animal farm is a critique of post revolutionary soviet union under stalin and the brutality and oppression he subsequently meted to his people.

has nigeria had a revolution ? No

Is nigeria still run by a small powerful elite? Yes

There is no comparison whatsoever between any of the characters in Animal farm and any nigerian politicians let alone the nigerian people - nigeria is still controlled by a small and powerful elite and has never had a revolution.

^^^^^

now lets see whehter we will hear unconfirmed reports about supposed unarmed protesters being strafed from the air and whether sanctions will be imposed against the autocratic saudi monarchy, lets see if any emerge4ncy meetings will be called in order to authorise millitary intervention by the west, lets see if Obama calls for the saudi monarchy to relinquish power (given that they have been running the country since 1932) and implement "democratic reforms"

blacksta:
shakes my head


Conspiracy theorists at best.

Maybe when Ghaddaffi murders the entire populace maybe then we will ask for external intervention.

can you answer the following questions:

what is your understanding of a conspiracy theory?

do you have any substantiated evidence indicating that gadaffi killed anyone?

when helicopter gunships were sent to strafe unarmed civilians in the niger delta region why didnt you call on the west to call for a no fly zone over that region?

when abacha ordered the extra judicial killing of ken saro wiwa why didnt you call for abacha to be brought and tried before the ICC?

when obasanjo sent troops to kill, ra.pe and burn the houses of unarmed civilians in odi and gbamaratu why didnt you call for sanctions to be imposed on nigeria by the UN?

your comments will be appreciated.

^^^^^

very true, see the article below:

Taking the Cake: The Creeping Militarization of the Libyan Crisis 
Published on 03-04-2011

By CHRIS FLOYD - Empire Burlesque

The howling hypocrisy of the American response to the uprising in Libya has been so jaw-dropping and nauseating that I’ve hardly been able to address it. Fortunately, Seamus Milne is on the case, and voices much of my thinking about the matter:

The same western leaders who happily armed and did business with the Gaddafi regime until a fortnight ago have now slapped sanctions on the discarded autocrat and blithely referred him to the international criminal court the United States won’t recognise.

Yes, does this not, as they say, take the cake … and the plate and the forks and the napkins too? The United States pushing through a measure to refer Libyan leaders to an international court which the United States resolutely refuses to recognize — lest its own leaders and their underlings find themselves in the dock for the most monstrous war crimes of this century? Yet even today, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate was sternly wagging his finger at Gaddafi and his underlings, telling them they “will be held accountable” for their actions before the august institutions of international justice, which weigh the whole world in the balance … except for the Peace prize-winning drone assassin and Continuer-in-Chief of a worldwide campaign of state terror, that is.

http://blacklistednews.com/Taking-the-Cake%3A-The-Creeping-Militarization-of-the-Libyan-Crisis-/12920/0/5/5/Y/M.html

TCD:
Yes. When the US intervened in Somalia in the 90's, they probably went there to look for groundnut oil. They didn't find it, bloody mofos.

don't be deceived - somalia has oil reserves - the americans were promised oil concessions by former somalian dictator Siad Barre, the americans went in to somalia in order to secure the area and protect their investments, unfortunately it did not quite work out that way for them and they were defeated by somalian warlords and were forced out of the country, here is an excerpt from an article on why america were in somalia:

Far beneath the surface of the tragic drama of Somalia, four major U.S. oil companies are quietly sitting on a prospective fortune in exclusive concessions to explore and exploit tens of millions of acres of the Somali countryside.

That land, in the opinion of geologists and industry sources, could yield significant amounts of oil and natural gas if the U.S.-led military mission can restore peace to the impoverished East African nation.

According to documents obtained by The Times, nearly two-thirds of Somalia was allocated to the American oil giants Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Phillips in the final years before Somalia's pro-U.S. President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown and the nation plunged into chaos in January, 1991. Industry sources said the companies holding the rights to the most promising concessions are hoping that the Bush Administration's decision to send U.S. troops to safeguard aid shipments to Somalia will also help protect their multimillion-dollar investments there.

Officially, the Administration and the State Department insist that the U.S. military mission in Somalia is strictly humanitarian. Oil industry spokesmen dismissed as "absurd" and "nonsense" allegations by aid experts, veteran East Africa analysts and several prominent Somalis that President Bush, a former Texas oilman, was moved to act in Somalia, at least in part, by the U.S. corporate oil stake.

http://www.raceandhistory.com/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/15

the americans were also very interested in controlling the sea lane known as the gulf of aden which sits just above the "horn" of africa lying to the north of somalia  - that sea route is of strategic importance to the americans as 11% of the world's crude oil passes through it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Aden

savanaha:
I think the Republicans enjoy screwing over the average person more. Either that or they do it more effectively.

but look at how much havoc has been wreaked so far under the Obama administration, look at all the bailouts given to the fat cats, the cuts in public spending and they out and out assault on the poor, Obama's economic policies are as right wing as the republicans.

the late great american comedian George Carlin says all this very succinctly here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acLW1vFO-2Q&feature=related

[quote author=pres-elect link=topic=616370.msg7847279#msg7847279 date=1299270275]Hmmm, interesting. But the good thing about the US is they have a system of one man one vote. The people can still vote their choice regardless of the cooperations. And moreover they have a powerful recall system whereby errant politicians can be recalled and someone else elected even before next elections.

But if Americans are interested in American idol, next model etc, Then the big guns will continue to demolish them until they wake up.

But you just gotta give it to these republicans men. They just do their thing. Period.[/quote]pres elect - it doesnt matter whether they have one man one vote - who ever they vote in they still end up with the same result - the system is rigged - the multinational corporations and the oligarchs run america. Any politician who steps out of line gets a bullet - remember JFK and his brother bobby?