http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20260.htm

08/07/08 “Khaleej Times” — - The deal just taking shape between Iraq’s Oil Ministry and four Western oil companies raises critical questions about the nature of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq - questions that should certainly be addressed by presidential candidates and seriously discussed in the United States, and of course in occupied Iraq, where it appears that the population has little if any role in determining the future of their country. (Keep reading…)

The Independent June 2, 2008

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/fisk/robert-fisk-so-alqaidas-defeated-eh-go-tell-it-to-the-marines-837843.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/fisk/robert-fisk-so-alqaidas-defeated-eh-go-tell-it-to-the-marines-837843.html (Keep reading…)

Special to Canadian Dimension May 2008

Introduction: The Historical Context

            Throughout modern imperial history, ‘Divide and Conquer’ has been the essential ingredient in allowing relatively small and resource-poor European countries to conquer nations vastly larger in size and populations and richer in natural resources.  It is said that for every British officer in India, there were fifty Sikhs, Gurkhas, Muslims and Hindus in the British Colonial Army.  The European conquest of Africa and Asia was directed by white officers, fought by black, brown and yellow soldiers so that white capital could exploit colored workers and peasants.  Regional, ethnic, religious, clan, tribal, community, village and other differences were politicized and exploited allowing imperial armies to conquer warring peoples.  In recent decades, the US empire builders have become the grand masters of ‘divide and conquer’ strategies throughout the world.  By the 1970’s, the CIA made a turn from promoting the dubious virtues of capitalism and democracy, to linking up with, financing and directing, religious, ethnic and regional elites against national regimes, independent or hostile to US world empire building. (Keep reading…)

Special to CAnadian Dimension May 1, 2008

Introduction From the middle of the 19th century but especially after the Second World War, two models of empire building competed on a world scale: One predominantly based on military conquests, involving direct invasions, proxy invading armies and subsidized separatist military forces; and the other predominantly based on large-scale, long-term economic penetration via a combination of investments, loans, credits and trade in which ‘market’ power and the superiority (greater productivity) in the means of production led to the construction of a virtual empire. (Keep reading…)

Special to Canadian Dimension April 12, 2008

Over the past century, a line has divided the left around the world. On one side sit “progressive forces” willing to support imperialism and war, usually in return for a “seat at the table” or some other perk of power. The most discussed example of Left support for imperialism was at the beginning of the First World War when most parties of the Second International sided with their own ruling class and governments in the slaughter that followed. On the other side of the Left divide, are those individuals and organizations that take a principled position in favour of real democracy for all the world’s people and oppose imperialism and colonialism in all its forms, especially when it is their ruling class involved. Some might say the former is the “pretend Left” and the later the “authentic Left.” (Keep reading…)

A Socialist Project e-bulletin …. No. 86 …. March 4, 2008 ______________________________________________________ (Keep reading…)

Reuters News Agency February 9, 2008

CARACAS — Venezuela accused Exxon Mobil Corp. of legal “terrorism” yesterday after the giant U.S. oil company won court orders freezing $12-billion (U.S.) of the South American oil supplier’s assets in a dispute at the heart of a worldwide tussle for control of natural resources. Venezuela’s oil minister Rafael Ramirez played down the rulings, reassuring investors they had little impact on the supplies, operations or cash flow of the state oil company, PDVSA, which he said has about $100-billion in assets. (Keep reading…)

Look at 2008 symbolically! Some 60 years ago, the United States emerged as the world power. Henry Luce formally announced the arrival of “The American Century” even before the country entered World War II. Luce thought the United States should become the world’s missionary, spreading Christian values and democracy. U.S. history had woven together a people with noble purpose, Luce argued, and had “the most exciting flag of all the world and of all history,” blowing toward the “triumphal purpose of freedom.” (Keep reading…)

Le Monde Diplomatique, October 2007

The ‘American Century’ only began 60 years ago. But it seems already to be over, with the disaster of Iraq forcing some of the United States’ ruling elites to realise that its hegemony has been severely weakened. But nobody seems to know what to do next, or even how to behave (Keep reading…)

Harpers Magazine October, 2002

Few writers are more ambitious than the writers of government policy papers, and few policy papers are more ambitious than Dick Cheney’s masterwork. It has taken several forms over the last decade and is in fact the product of several ghostwriters (notably Paul Wolfowitz and Colin Powell), but Cheney has been consistent in his dedication to the ideas in the documents that bear his name, and he has maintained a close association with the ideologues behind them. Let us, therefore, call Cheney the author, and this series of documents the Plan. (Keep reading…)