Iraq war victim.James Petras, professor of sociology at the Binghamton university of New York, has written Military or Market-Driven Empire Building: 1950-2008
Among the points made by Petras:
1. The US has spent more on war and military empire building than Western Europe or Japan.
2. The US gained little from its expensive wars in Vietnam and other parts of South East Asia.
The US's wars in South East Asia:
A. discredited it and its products throughout the world.
B. demoralised the US public and military
C. increased the US's debts.
D. led to the neglect of non-military manufacturing.
3. The US wasted billions in wars in Angola, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Afghanistan.Meanwhile the more peaceful Europeans were expanding economically into Eastern Europe, China, Latin America and the Middle East.
4. By the year 2000, the European Union was ahead of the US in GNP.
Merchandise exports 2007 (Source WTO)
1. Germany
2. China
3. USA
4. Japan
5. France
6. Netherlands
7. Italy
5. During the Bush-Clinton years, the US poured billions into fighting in places such as Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Colombia and Kosova.
The US spent billions "to prop up a gangster-ridden and corrupt KLA regime in Kosova."
Meanwhile, Germany was increasing its economic links to Croatia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic.
And China was doing deals with Iran, Sudan, Angola and Nigeria.
The US gave millions in military aid to Israel.
Meanwhile, Europeans were doing deals with the Gulf oil states and Iran.
6. In the period 2002-2008, the dollar fell 40%.This did little to improve the US balance of payments.
China, Germany and Japan have trade surpluses. The US has a trade deficit.
7. Israel plays an important part in shaping US policy.
In the US, the Israelis are powerful in government, the media and finance.
8. The first Iraq War was intended to expand Israeli influence in the Middle East.
9. The militarists and Zionists run the US.
10. Countries such as China and Germany "are quickly dominating manufacturing markets, accessing strategic raw materials and securing long-term trade agreements at the expense of the increasingly militarist, but internally deteriorating US empire."
The US militarists and Zionists have wasted over a trillion dollars in wars, and have weakened the US.
The US military seems to be working for Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel uses its spies against the US.
11. The US military Empire will collapse as the money runs out.
(James Petras is the author of: Rulers and Ruled in the US Empire: Bankers, Zionists, Militants.)
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