I despair for civilization.

"When the abyss stares at me, it wets its pants." Brian Hopkins

 ... bring on the Imperial Sardaukar ...

The difference between theory and practise in practise ...

On the list of bad ideas in world relations, this ranks pretty high. When the people of a desperately poor nation (such as Nigeria) see western firms leeching their nation's mineral wealth away, they tend to draw a simple conclusion: These companies are heartless profit-seekers with no regard for human life or welfare. Sending NATO forces to protect such corporations would cement the perception that western countries care only about securing energy supplies. After all, we've tried this experiment before; the whole concept harks back to the disastrous gunboat diplomacy of the 19th century. Think again, Mr Shea!

Oil -- the root of idiocy.

One way or another our dependency on oil is going to end. Obviously, we can either start weening ourselves off of oil now, or we can destroy everything in our path and expend all our treasure to get those last drops of oil.

In the States, during WWII, Americans had gas rationed to 3 gallons per household per week. Now, many of my fellow Americans burn up that much gas and more commuting to work each day. Plus, we had a national speed limit of 35 miles per hour to save rubber and gas. Now, we speed along over 70 miles per hour in some places.

The "American way of life" that Americans claim to have fought for has vanished in the 1950s with a puff of foul smelling cloud of automobile pollution. America is unrecognizable now. A lot of good has happened since WWII, but my country's 60 years of automobile-centric planning has made my country's future bleak.

As an American, I feel frustrated that we've lost the ability to lead and make sacrifices. And as a citizen of a NATO member nation, I am embarassed by how terrible an idea this is. I had hoped that saner minds in Europe would hold NATO together somehow and make it work for a post-Cold War world. Now, it seems Bush wants to revive the Cold War with his missile shield pipedream and it seems that only the Russians are saying no to Bush.

The U.S. Congress seems unable to control the man, but what does Bush have over the Czechs and Poles that they go along with his secret prisions and missile shields? Why can no one stand up to this madman?

Shea's a Brit and I would have hoped he had learned about Britain's and America's most recent oil war in Iraq that this sort proposed military exercise doesn't work, let alone the 19th century example of gunboat diplomacy.

Thank you for the utterly depressing, but unshocking story.

Nice to see that the new Empire has taken to sending in the gunboats everytime people show insufficient "leadership". h/t afew

keep to the Fen Causeway

The aim most be to resolve conflicts and make sure people working in troubled areas are safe, like for instance in Nigeria.  The NRF force are a NATO force and are in under the command of the joint member states and it is not meant to be a force for hire at random will, which is quite obvious when you look at the NATO charter and the NRF mandate.  Still, if you are a NATO sceptic, no amount of evidence and reassurances in the world will make you change your mind, I guess.  

Bitsofnews.com Giving you the latest bits.

The Fundi Greens were right, get out of NATO, asap.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.