When not in Rome don't do what the Roam's did

[cathy ramirez]

This is a prescription for the decline and fall of the
American Empire. Overextension — urged on by a bunch
of rabid intellectuals who wouldn't know one end of a
gun from another — has doomed many an empire. Just let
the United States try to occupy the Middle East, which
will be the practical result of a war against Iraq,
and Americans will be bled dry by the costs both in
blood and treasure. 

		Reese, Neoconservatives Are Crazy

The decline and fall of the American Empire? I
doubtful scenario. The US is not the Roman Empire. US
is strategy does not permit over extension. The
Military Industrial Complex has re-tooled the US
Military to wage war in several places at once.
Policy, strategy, military hardware, alliances, the
internal conflicts, all work to US advantage. The US
will continue to wage war with a minimum loss of blood
and treasure. 
US casualties will be kept very low as they were in
Phase I of the Gulf War and as they were in the Afghan
War.  And others will pay up as they have in the past.



The  CBO has estimated the incremental cost associated
with the recent military activities in and around
Afghanistan at about $10 billion in FY 2002 and
another $10 billion in FY 2003 (these amounts are
already built into the budget projections). 

In phase I of the Gulf War, $54 billion in
contributions were received from countries such as
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Japan, reducing the net
expense for the US to only about $7 billion). Since
the US already has a big presence in the region, it
seems likely that the potential budget impact of a
major conflict with Iraq will be considerably less
this time around. 

I think it's not unlikely that the straw that breaks
OPEC's back will be Phase II of the Gulf War. If that
happens the gains will far outweigh the costs. 

To get Globalization back on track, Bush will need to
get the war going soon and get it over with quickly.
Actually, there is no sense ending the war, but Bush
will achieve his objectives in two years or less. Even
if we see $50 oil, we will see it below $15 after Bush
has ousted the government of Iraq. 

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