You see that pyramid over there? Well, it's called a Maslov's pyramid. One of the many such geometrical, intellectual, three-dimensional forms which help us define our lives. What it means is this. One can only start addressing the more esoteric and spiritual aspects of existence after the bare basics of food and shelter have been taken care of. Get it?

Kind of like what is happening in Iraq right now. The good old Americans are doing their very best to force a form of democracy on the people there, but unless they first take care of the basics like water and electricity, there is no hope in hell of even getting near to any form of success. No one cares about the merits of democracy, no matter how noble and sincere, if they are cold and wet and hungry all the time.

Of course, Americans like to force things by using military might, but that is a poor excuse on which to base a form of repressed reconstruction.

This is a fundamental aspect of human suffering which has been going on for thousands of years. History just repeating itself. I thought the Americans thought they were so smart.

When will they every figure things out?

(P.S. Thanks a lot Dave for suggesting I write something about Maslov's pyramid in my blog. Good idea.)

I doubt anyone making the decisions for this war actually think they are doing it to promote democracy. They are doing it to replace a government they couldn't control with one they can. The US led the coup against the democratically elected Allende of Chile and installed the dictator Pinochet because Allende wanted to nationalize industries and land and Pinochet was willing to play by the US government's economic rules. Democracy is currently being dismantled in the USA, and certainly is not a concern abroad. Democracy is the word that is fed to the masses to get them to hit the YES button, like Pavlov's dog. Capitalism is the guiding principle that is fully understood only by the economists and the wealthy elite they serve.

And BTW, the warmongers never get beyond the bottom ring on Maslov's ladder. Its all survival to them because they are such hungry ghosts that no matter what they have its never enough to insure they will never be vulnerable under any possible future scenario.

Yes you made your point quite well again, Indigo. However, since when is the government that they are replacing it all with one that CAN be controlled? I wonder if that will ever be the case as long as the Americans et al remain in that country.

When Hitler became bondskanselier of germany nobody did anything because Hitler had not done anything really illegal by that time. The americans, britisch and frence knew he was no good, and still they let him be in power. Even when he envorced ethnical differences.
Try to explain this to all the milions of people that have died that this was a good thing. America is learning and dispite from weapons of mass distruction (a stupid reason to start a war) when people are suppressed by their governmnet, anybody should try to free them because after food and shelter I believe freedom is the most important thing in live. Not only Iraque but also North Korea and many other countries in Africa should be freed. But the free world has to start somewhere. I think starting in Iraque was good, and now america and the rest of the world should continue to free everybody from any kind of suppresment.

Sure, I can relate to that approach. However, the problem lies in the ability to decide whether or not a given country is oppressing its people or not. Who is to decide this and how? For example, in many ways people could even consider the United States (land of the free) an oppressed country. Should they also be conquered if suppose in the future some other country became stronger?

Great discussion that i see here.
About Chile I just want to add, that the country was going to bankrupcy, because Allende gave the leading positions at the factories to the workers who knew nothing about economy. The country was going down the Drain, as so many others that have fallen into communism. If something history has proven is that Communism does not work. Democracy, well, not at all perfect, but its getting there with a mixture of socialism. The thing is that no matter how much the unfortunate and poor fight that the rich make more money, they will never be touched because contrary to the poor, they really don't pay directly their taxes. It is all done legally through their companies, while the others are in the rat race. Is nothing bad a bout it i think, just a lack of knowledge. So we have to decide, do we stay up crying because the rich did this and that or we learn how they do it and help balance the economy in differen ways.

One question Carl: are you rich?

Kiffin, You have a nice web site; I stumbled onto it because I am considering a position with Sogeti, and your site was one of the Google links..... Well, just my two cents.... it's refreshing to see rational opinions within this blog (I don't even exactly know what a blog is....). The US doesn't like to distinguish between democracy and capitalism. It doesn't want anyone to realize there is a distinction. I feel sorry for my country and countrymen (I'm American), because they seem so feebleminded... ready to swallow whatever the media/govt feeds them. I feel there is just enough truth to sustain the myth of America. One day, and at a heavy price, this truth/myth pair will be obviously out of balance. When Americans one day awaken into a reality that is no longer meeting those Maslov pyramid needs, there will be movement. For now, we are in large part.... relatively.... docile, fat, and arrogant/ignorant. Much of the West knows this; we are too conveniently comfortable to think about it. Too bad...

That's pretty interesting how my web site is ranked so highly on a google search for Sogeti. Thanks alot for the kind words. I am also an American by the way, so I can relate really well to your comments regarding our country and fellow country folks. Yes, I am also very worried that the wonderful America of my childhood has all but disappeared completely by now, and that the truth vs. myth polarization will mean the beginning of the end. By the way, think twice before considering Sogeti. Depends pretty much what you are looking for.

Just wanted to say to the "employment suicide" folks that there's another term for them, it's called, "gold-coller workers". :)