For a long time, people in other countries saw the savage face of US

[KlatooBNikto]

imperialism.Now under Bush we are beginning to see that ourselves and as fascism takes root in the native soil, expect things to become more and more blatant and barbaric.

[Minstrel Boy]

1. Desperate times have meant the drop of pretense.

The American empire has been a decades-long reality, responsible for millions of deaths. But, apart from the front lines of the latest war on something, it wore, generally, a benign face. That's changed with the Bush years.

I think, in large part, that's because of the exegencies of oil and gas, and because of the bubble-nature of US fiscal health. The militants who seized power in 2000 saw an opportunity to lengthen the years of American hegimony by employing US armed forces aggressively, and catching potential rivals off balance.

The cost was dropping the pretense, and embracing the empire. It meant becoming - in word, in deed, in everything - the bad guys.

[KlatooBNikto]

2. It is simply amazing that a country can be so thoroughly

brainwashed into believing its own exceptionalism and by corollary the
inferiority of other nations and cultures that it thinks nothing of stealing the resources of those countries at the point of gun.It even goes to the extent of saying that that act of piracy is for the victim's own good!.Surreal!

[indigobusiness]

3. That is the true moneyshot

of an out of control, sociopathic society.

[Minstrel Boy]

4. I remember, before the invasion,

the anticipation of some on the Left that an Iraq war would mean the end of America. That is, that it would reveal its hard, imperial face for all to see. The contradictions between American myth and reality would be heightened beyond repair.

If Kerry wins there will be some damage control, but there will also be no leaving Iraq.

I don't know how America is going to get out of this. I don't mean just Iraq; I mean the empire business. But eventually, it must. For the good of the world, and the sake of its own soul.

[KlatooBNikto]

5. The only way I can see that happening is if the resistance of people

everywhere makes the cost of maintaining an empire prohibitive, both in blood and money.