So anyways..... I was pondering this thought with my uncles, (who through a weird bit of family planning are only a few years older than me and my best mates) over single malt and cigars:

Is the United States the Babylon St. John speaks of in the Book of Revelations? My contention is yes. The Scarlet Whore is most likely some metaphorical allusion to the US pop culture. Here is my thinking, and they agreed I should add: Revelations speaks of the world lamenting the passing of Babylon. It describes how the world had been intoxicated by it, drunk on the wine of its iniquity or words to that effect. Now, unless I am mistaken, the world is not drunk on the iniquity of anything coming out of anyplace even remotely near Babylon, unless of course we are considering oil. The United States, for better or worse, is without doubt, THE most powerful nation the world has ever seen. It is a nation that enjoys THE highest standard of living (except some dinky Arab emirate where everone is a multi billionaire but that doesn't really count). It is a nation that has given the world the finest examples of hedonistic excess. It has its finger in every single pie on the face of the earth and, most likely, any pies that may exist outside the earth. It IS the center of the universe. Like it or not, lump it or leave it, it is true. I point out Hollywood, which personifies the culture of the United States. For better or worse, the United States is the ultimate reality TV show. That being said.... Everyone hates, to one degree or another, the United States. Everyone also loves, to one degree or another, the United States. However, the west would be no-place without it. The east would likewise be no-place without it. The United States is at once, the best friend and the greatest enemy to EVERY single being on earth. Love and hate are flips sides of the same coin.... and everybody has that coin. In short, the world as we know it could not exist without the United States. It either gives one person the protection it needs to exist, or gives another person the hatred it needs to exist. The world has been living in Pax Americana... inherited from Pax Britannica, from at least 1918 on and definintely from 1945 on.

Now then, to the thrust of my thesis. In order for someone to lament the passing of Babylon there must be something that Babylon has given to the world. Something addictive. IS the Scarlet Whore of Middle-Eastern decent? I doubt it. The Scarlet Whore is American... through and through. I'm thinking that the United States is Babylon

The problem the US has and why it will, indeed must, eventually disappear up it's own backside is expressed thusly..

Q: How can the US be nine trillion dollars in debt and will they ever pay it back? Haven't they ever heard of Loans Direct?

A: "When people talk about the United States being nine trillion dollars in debt, they're talking about the amount of money owed by the federal government to creditors who hold US government bonds and other securities. The government issues these bonds in order to raise money to spend on things like the Iraq war and big infrastructure projects so they don't have to raise taxes... individuals and businesses can buy these bonds and get a guaranteed return at some point in the future... But a lot of them are held overseas... Especially by the Chinese government... And the question is how long China will carry on financing America's spending spree.. As for whether it'll ever be paid back - it's unlikely... Does that matter? Well as John Maynard Keynes said: "If you owe your bank a hundred pounds, you have a problem. But if you owe your bank a million pounds, it has." The Economist has added: "if you owe your bank a billion pounds then it's everybody's problem."

As long as the US remains China's # 1 market for it's shitty goods, I can't foresee them calling in the debt.

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Perhaps it was an idiotic post I initially made above.

Very apocalyptic Petey.

Who knows.... maybe the Scarlet Whore is Laura Bush? That'd be neat.

Maybe it's Hilary Clinton. Why don't you all elect her and find out?

Yuckies. I'm still wishing that the Brits would come back over and bring us back into the Empire. Doubt that'll happen though.

Pay back the chinese and we'll discuss it.

I don't want to be part of the Brit Empire....and deal w/ all those boneheads in the EU? I mean, I LOVE Europe...but not enough to intertwine my govt w/ them.

Oh, I dunno....

[quote:d83624d817="Gabriel"]those boneheads in the EU? I mean, I LOVE Europe...but not enough to intertwine my govt w/ them.[/quote:d83624d817]

2 things about Europe of real importance.

1: We are governed by an elected government, not by the lobby with the most money to donate.

eg - Microsoft *will* comply with EU directives. No amount of fancy and/or expensive lawyers will persuade the EU to turn a blind eye. At todays exchange rate, Microsoft are currently looking at a fine of just over 1 billion dollars. See, we have laws here. Comply with them, or get fined.

2: The European Court of Human Rights.

eg - The fallout from McLibel [url=http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/index.html]see here[/url]

Contrast with the United States, where Microsoft have still to comply but nobody is enforcing it. Contrast with the US where they still allow SLAPP style court cases.

Europe often seems like a whole load of pointless hot air, but the European Parliament and its legislature provide the checks and balances that keep the member states in line.

Actually now I come to think about it, I wouldn't want your corrupt excuse for a government polluting Europe! So I guess we agree.

Uhh...okay. Good.

The thing I like about Europe is the sense of national identity that the United States lacks. I know nothing of the political etc. Actually, for the most part, I know very little about the political etc of the United States except that money is the allmighty savior. The Electoral College doesn't really work. There is no difference between the political parties. I imagine it is not that dissimilar in Europe. I just think that Europe is more aesthetically pleasing.... that and it has better alcohol.... and it has Stef. There is a lot to be said about those things. Plus it has the Queen. (I realize Elizabeth Deux is in the UK and not the head of all Europe, but actually, after a fashion she sort of is). What can I say, I've been a Monarchist (even if it's a constitutional monarchy) since I've been a lillun. I need the sense of tradition... especially around Christmas time, but that is another matter.

Anyways... I have no clue where I am going with this. Um... right.

ttfn