[Kingcoal]

Without America, the world would probably be ruled by Germanic Europe. You know, British Germania, French Germania, etc. The swastika would be on every Eurozone flag. I guess that would be better than having America police the world? Whenever the world has had a world economy, the world economy had a trustee. America didn't make it that way; it's just always been that way. Prior to the USA, the British Empire held the job. Oh yeah, I forgot, they screwed everything up also. Countries need to be governed.

Aggression and adventurism has to be held in check and commerce protected. World economies are very easy to disrupt and the consequences are grave. The more countries trade with each other, the more enfranchised their people become. The more enfranchised people are, the less time they spend sitting around posting messages on peak oil message boards and the more time they spend being productive, having a life, dating the opposite sex and making a better living for themselves.

The “wars” that America has been engaged in are hardly wars in a historical context. They aren’t really even regional conflicts. They are, for the lack of a better term, police actions. WW2 was a war. Millions died, the economic damage was fantastic and maps rewritten.

If America were to vanish, what would happen? The UK would probably continue America’s policies, with significant alterations. However, they probably don’t have enough military power left to stand up to Russia.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Micki', ' ')
And yes, I agree. US is the bully of the block....becasue they can be.
If Russia or hine had had the same opportunity they would have done the same. There are no good guys out there..

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Kingcoal', 'W')ithout America, the world would probably be ruled by Germanic Europe.

[hotsacks]

And oil.Don't forget oil.Texaco funded the Philadelphia Philharmonic for over forty years as a way of saying "Sorry" for suplying Hitler oil. And where Texaco went,others followed.
And also (my favorite): Coke.Only they thoughtfully renamed it Fanta in the good old Reich.

[PenultimateManStanding]

What difference does the past make? Only the future matters now.

[smallpoxgirl]

"Who controls the past, controls the future. Who controls the present, controls the past." -George Orwell

You better go to sleep PMS or your going to fall asleep in your nachos during the superbowl.

[eric_b]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'W')hat difference does the past make? Only the future matters now.

[eastbay]

As an American I want us to invade Vietnam again so prove to everyone we're seriously interested in promoting the spread of democracy.

This will serve to quiet those who rant on endlessly about how the Iraq war is about oil or protecting Israel or selling oil in Euros and all those other obviously nonsense conspiracies spread about the noble Iraq occupation.

If the US says it's all about spreading democracy then that's the truth and we should set out to prove it IMO.

[Dukat_Reloaded]

I don't know about you guys but I'm seriously considering moving to china like Jim Rogers. The western world is old news, they will either go bankrupt or get their arse kicked sooner or later. China is the new world power and I want to leave Australia after I have learn't how to speak chinese and bring enough money with me to start up a business. Any investment in western businesses will see little return, they can not grow anymore and any business which has just grown recently is because of easy credit, not because of increased sales with the money used to expand the business, it's been borrow money to grow the businesses in the hope that there will be increased sales. Sorry to say, America is finished as a place to invest money, China is now where it is at to invest and get good growth. Bow down to china, they are the next world leaders. PM me if you want to download a chinese lanuage learning course, as I believe Peakoil or not, they will be the worlds greatest power within 5-10 years.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eric_b', '
')No, only the present moment matters. It's all
you have. Your only contact with the living God.
The past and the future exist only in your head.

[Odin]

Capitialism and empty-world economics are the Enemy; we were just the biggest sucker in the cult of conspicuous consumption.

[Micki]

Dukat_reloaded wrote:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') don't know about you guys but I'm seriously considering moving to china like Jim Rogers....I want to leave Australia after I have learn't how to speak chinese and bring enough money with me to start up a business. ...China is now where it is at to invest and get good growth.

[Dukat_Reloaded]

I prob won't start up a business there, I'm more interested in studying there. I assume it would be very cheap to study to become a doctor or another type of profession and at the same time live and eat in china very cheaply. I would say 5k will beable to pay for university, rent, food and other essientals.

[Micki]

Hmm, I must be very negative today cause I only see half empty glasses.

The good UNI's are probably not located in any cheap places.
i.e. if you want to study in Bejing or Shanghai, you may be stretching your dollar.
I also visited Bejing a few days last year and I thought the food there sucked. (apologies if anyone got offended cause I normally love asian, including Chinese, food but I had to be honest about what I thought about the Bejing grub) HK was much better food wise.

Have you visited the place so you know that you don't mind spending a few years there?

Have you found out if a chinese doctors degree counts as high as lets say an aussie degree once you start looking for jobs?

You don't mind leaving friends/family behind for a long time?

These are just retorical questions that you in no way have to answer, I just want to make sure you are prepared for such a move.
I myself migrated to Oz about 10y ago and know that the reality can be different from what you first envisage.

Otherwise, good luck if you take the leap. I am sure you will find China very interesting.

[Gigashadow]

The enemy of who? America is doing what's best for America. And screw everybody else.

[Dukat_Reloaded]

I hear to do a doctorate degree is around 26,000 yuan per year, which is equal to only 3-4 thousand US dollars. Perhaps another $1k-2k to pay for airfare, rent and food. I'm not sure how much rent would be in China. I'll probably do this next year and just work and save up some investments. For me to study in china would be very interesting and I will learn a new culture while I'm there. Also to be a westerner fluent in both western and chinese culture will be invaluable to many companies in the future. I'm still not sure what I'm going to study, perhaps Nuclear Physics. To get a education in China is about 1/10th the cost of a education in western countries. I know that I will not have as many of the modern conviences in china but I don't really need them. After finishing a course, I will most likely return to the western world unless china revalues it's currency and it comes in line on par with the US. If you have any advise I would be interested to hear it. It might be a good idea now to perhaps open a chinese bank account and put some money there before western currencies become too devalued.

Web Page Name That has studying information.

Chinese (Mandarin)

That is what I'm using to study the Chinese Lanuage, I downloaded volumes 1,2 and 3 off the internet as I wanted to review the course before buying it. Unfortuantly it's not on any torrents anymore so but when I downloaded it, it was 1gig in mp3 formats with afew of the pdf books as well. It's quite interesting to listen to, but I think I will need to meet some Australian Chinese friends and get their help as well.

Micki, I have next to no knowledge of China, but I have become fasinated by it, hence the reason to live there for awhile, while taking advantage of the cheap education there. It would be stupid to goto china on a working holiday, but going their to study seems like a win win situation. Alot of my friends use the internet so I can keep in contact with them, and also I might return home once every year or two to work some 16 hour shifts and build up more money to see me through if money starts becoming tight.

I believe China's economy has become it's own economy now, and not as reliant on USA trade as many might think. If America goes into a recession, China will continue to power along with or without the USA.

[Dukat_Reloaded]

Malaysia Airline Price: $573.00. From Sydney to Bejing only $573, that is cheap.

I have $10k so far in savings, more if I sell everything I own on ebay.

I think I will need about 5-6k per year in china

Is anyone else interested in doing what I am doing?

[TheTurtle]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Dukat_Reloaded', '
')I believe China's economy has become it's own economy now, and not as reliant on USA trade as many might think. If America goes into a recession, China will continue to power along with or without the USA.

[oowolf]

I think it should be "North Korea". It's quite obvious the "rest of the world" is out to "get the US". Besides that deranged dwarf in NK, we now have a religious lunatic in Iran and a self-inflated dictator in Venezuela who are going all out to entice the bushicrats to commit further stupidities.
These demagogues are fully aware of our Achilles' heel of oil dependence. They also have powerful friends (China, Russia).

All this saber-rattling is pathetic and futile. Petroindustrial "civilization" has destroyed Nature, catastrophic climate change is underway, and most of us are just walking dead including you and all your relatives and all your children.

Every gallon of gasoline burned puts 5.6 pounds of carbon dioxide into YOUR atmosphere. And it is going to stay there for around 100 or 150 THOUSAND YEARS. Every car puts its own weight of carbon into YOUR atmosphere every year. There are now over 750,000,000 cars in operation. Do the math and get ready to become extinct.