Another Trump Effect?

From Bloomberg: U.S. Small-Business Optimism Index Surges by Most Since 1980.

Read the article HERE.

Where are they Now? Culturist John

Culturist John is now Dr. John K. Press. My dissertation on Frances Kellor and the Americanization movement is done. And, now that I am free to attack - sans concern about PC - mulituculturalism and all of its splendors, I am out of gas. I would say that I am defeated, but exhausted is kinder. But I am exhausted from fighting on a couple of text-based fronts.

I have some fun with text. I continue to revise my Frances Kellor project. Two agents were interested, and one said she was excited, wanted more, and will accept a rewrite. After ruminating for a few days, i recognized the problem. My doctorate advisor's advice made my work more academic. That is, it made it focus on my argument that the literature had mischaracterized the Americanization movement. Thus all France's actions, and Frances herself, faded into the background. In making it pointed, my dissertation lost its passion for Kellor for Kellor's sake. It lost its broad range of speculation and inquiry. I pledge, in the New Year, to revise the versions that first excited me.

And, I find myself, these days, fighting with text in another arena. I am writing history of education curriculum for a local branch of the State University of New York system. I put my soul into this work. It is beautiful and an accumulation of all of my culturist wisdom, teaching wisdom, and history of education wisdom distilled into 40 pages on a 12 week, three and a half our per class, curriculum. But dweebs, for reasons totally inexplicable to me, wanna mess with it. As this may make me sound uncoachable, I will will show below that it is ridiculous.

The text is and is not the issue. The curriculum is built upon a reader comprised of 400 hand-picked pages of handouts. Every week has full instructions and supplemental question handouts to guide the discussion. Each week is both chronological in presentation and represents a different theme. They sought to replace this noble construction with a book on co-ed education. They did not know it was such a focused book because they read neither my syllabus nor the work before trying to impose. This labor union university higher-up just wants to prove something to themselves. I may lose here, but I'll always have that curriculum.

And the sum total of my life dedicated to cause, mission, and meaning; now with my Ph.D I am qualified to do no work. I should have been a dentist. I would like to think the university martyrs and tortures me for my political stances. They haven't read the curriculum. The content doesn't matter and the results are intangible at best. And as the futility of my five books, many CDs, and various political actions to the landlord become clear I despair of the value of all but the buck.

The last poetic irony follows. When I was young I did telephone sales for a coked up British con-artist. When out of his mind he would pace the room and shout, "Stay with the pitch." His con written his way, was the best way. Now after devoting my life to creating meaning, my new real estate position will - for the sake of money - require me to "stay with the pitch." And, as such, word oppress me. Wittgenstein should know they go straight from the system to the heart.

www.culturism.us

1934 Chicago Tribune Cartoon

(clickie for biggie)

h/t Sword at the Ready

Made in....

This was posted in the comment section, by Hameed (an Iraqi) who doesn't live in Iraq, at ITM. Yes, I am as guilty as the next person when making purchases. This does make you stop and think a moment.

Besides, I love the ending.

EVER WONDERED WHY AMERICA'S ECONOMY FELL OFF THE CLIFF??

READ ON....

John Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN) for 6 am.

While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG).

He put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA ), designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE ) and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA)

After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA) he sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO) to see how much he could spend today.

After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio (MADE IN INDIA) he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY) filled it with GAS (FROM SAUDI ARABIA) and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.

At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking his Computer (MADE IN MALAYSIA), John decided to relax for a while.

He put on his sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL), poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA), and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job in AMERICA.

AND NOW HE'S HOPING HE CAN GET HELP FROM A PRESIDENT....MADE IN KENYA

NYT- Obama to limit ALL EXEC pay- ALL? USA-SSR. The end of America

NEW YORK TIMES SUNDAY MARCH 21, 2009
The Obama administration will call for increased oversight of executive pay at all banks, Wall Street firms and possibly other companies as part of a sweeping plan to overhaul financial regulation, government officials said.

The outlines of the plan are expected to be unveiled this week in preparation for President Obama's first foreign summit meeting in early April.

Officials said the proposal would seek a broad new role for the Federal Reserve to oversee large companies, including major hedge funds, whose problems could pose risks to the entire financial system.

It will propose that many kinds of derivatives and other exotic financial instruments that contributed to the crisis be traded on exchanges or through clearinghouses so they are more transparent and can be more tightly regulated. And to protect consumers, it will call for federal standards for mortgage lenders beyond what the Federal Reserve adopted last year, as well as more aggressive enforcement of the mortgage rules.

The administration has been considering increased oversight of executive pay for some time, but the issue was heightened in recent days as public fury over bonuses spilled into the regulatory effort.

I had thought to start a new software company with a new direction and idea, but there won't be much point if the govt establishes the principle IT can arrogate what my idea can do for me, those I work with, and if this idea is very successful, major and future managers and part owners.

If this is not shot down immediately, then what would we be fighting the war on terror for, again? The right of a federal govt to own me? Own my potential? Own yours?

Barack Obama, if this is true, not only has no right to the office, he is a danger to the republic as it was founded.

Anyone running around thinking, 'well this will never affect me, this is about the head of GM' is in denial. This govt is trying to establish they have the RIGHT to decide what you can achieve, what your mind, your effort, and your thought is worth.

This idea, this principle, if TRUE as the NYT states, is as destructive to this republic as ANY IDEA the alien freaks of Al Qaeda, Shia Islam, the Muslim Brotherhood, or KSA ever wanted.

This idea that the govt has the right to determine ANYONE'S (non govt) pay is TREASON.
In the administration they will belittle opposition, as the hysterical rantings of those who say no to progress, so it is essential that THEY be identified as corrupt looters whose power hungry, self enriching, tainted inner compulsions are ANTI-AMERICAN. The ENEMY will seek to frame this as if they are protecting the many from the few, but they are only protecting themselves from Americans. IF THIS IS TRUE.

I guess then I am with the REVOLUTIONARIES:

"the idea is unfounded that on entering into society
we give up any natural right".

"The right to procure property and to use it for one's own enjoyment is essential to the freedom of every person, and our other rights would mean little without these rights of property ownership. It is also for these reasons that the government's power to tax property is placed in those representatives most frequently and directly responsible to the people, since it is the people themselves who must pay those taxes out of their holdings of property. "




"All men are born free and independent, and have certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights, among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties; that of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property; in fine, that of seeking and obtaining their safety and happiness. "













"nothing is more common than for a free people, in times of heat and violence, to gratify momentary passions, by letting into the government, principles and precedents which afterwards prove fatal to themselves."














This nation was founded in revolution over tax, which is to say,, PROPERTY RIGHTS.
Every single person who voted for this administration must now think carefully if they want the America of Jefferson or the America of Obama.

They are not the same place.

The strike is coming. The looters must be seen naked.

TORIES, SOCIALISTS, COMMUNISTS AND ALINKSY FREAKS COMMENT HERE..ALSO AMERICANS

The Chinese DEMAND collateral for buying T Bills, and get it - THE USA ITSELF

UPDATE: THIS STORY WAS SPREAD BY A JEW-HATING WHITE SUPREMACIST NAMED HAL TURNER

LGF HAS THE GOODS.

LIVE LEAK....and this one is HARD TO BELIEVE

FEDS GRANT EMINENT DOMAIN AS COLLATERAL TO CHINA FOR U.S. DEBTS!
Beijing, China -- Sources at the United States Embassy in Beijing China have just CONFIRMED to me that the United States of America has tendered to China a written agreement which grants to the People's Republic of China, an option to exercise Eminent Domain within the USA, as collateral for China's continu More..ed purchase of US Treasury Notes and existing US Currency reserves!

The written agreement was brought to Beijing by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and was formalized and agreed-to during her recent trip to China.

This means that in the event the US Government defaults on its financial obligations to China, the Communist Government of China would be permitted to physically take -- inside the USA -- land, buildings, factories, perhaps even entire cities - to satisfy the financial obligations of the US government.

Put simply, the feds have now actually mortgaged the physical land and property of all citizens and businesses in the United States. They have given to a foreign power, their Constitutional power to "take" all of our property, as actual collateral for continued Chinese funding of US deficit spending and the continued carrying of US national debt.

This is an unimaginable betrayal of every man, woman and child in the USA. An outrage worthy of violent overthrow.

I am endeavoring to obtain images or copies of the actual document but in the interim, several different sources both in the US and in China have CONFIRMED this to me.

HARD TO BELIEVE
If we are in these kinds of straights we have NO BUSINESS with any kind of frigging stimulus anything.
If this is true, 95% of Americans would countenance invading the entire ME and TAKING 100% of the oil first

CAN THIS BE REAL?
A search yields Live Leak, the Examiner, Atlas Shrugs, reddit.com, and ominously ..RENSE
I'd like to see much more on this

UPDATE... HT ANON:

Feb. 11 (Bloomberg) -- China should seek guarantees that its $682 billion holdings of U.S. government debt won’t be eroded by “reckless policies,” said Yu Yongding, a former adviser to the central bank.

The U.S. “should make the Chinese feel confident that the value of the assets at least will not be eroded in a significant way,” Yu, who now heads the World Economics and Politics Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in response to e-mailed questions yesterday from Beijing. He declined to elaborate on the assurances needed by China, the biggest foreign holder of U.S. government debt.

Anyone else?

OK NOTHING NEW IN ~24 HOURS ..RATED AS TOTALLY UNCONFIRMABLE

Barney Frank: Compensation Restrictions May Extend To All U.S. Companies

We've been warning you that the Leftist reflex is towards Communism. Of course, when we say it, we sound like paranoid "far-right extremists".

But then, Barney Frank says it for us:

Congress will consider legislation to extend some of the curbs on executive pay that currently apply only to those banks receiving federal assistance, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank said.

Mr. Frank said the compensation restrictions would apply to all financial institutions and might be extended to include all U.S. companies.

“There’s deeply rooted anger on the part of the average American,” the Massachusetts Democrat said at a Washington news conference today.

So, if we aren't far-right extremists, then what are we? We just right. We're right just about all the time.

Will the nearly $1trillion Stimulus Bill Stimulate Recovery?

Forbes, a keeper in the next few weeks as the battles play out:

Safety-Net Spending

Cost: $164 billion
Stimulative? Yes

What is it? $17 billion to temporarily increase food stamp benefits, $23 billion for Health and Human Services programs, $13 billion for housing assistance, $43 billion for unemployment insurance, $40 billion for health insurance for unemployed workers, a $24 billion increase for the Earned Income Tax Credit, $4 billion for Department of Labor training programs.

Who benefits? The unemployed, low income workers and the businesses where they spend.

Does it stimulate? Absolutely. Many of the programs will be able to increase their level of spending quickly--much more quickly than it takes to finish building a highway--and the recipients of the money are likely pressed for cash and will quickly spend it. The CBO estimates that nearly all this money will be spent in 2009 and 2010.

Making-Work-Pay Tax Cut

Cost: $144 billion
Stimulative? Toss up

What is it? A tax cut of $500 per person per year for everyone earning up to $75,000, and a gradually smaller tax cut for those earning up to $100,000.

Who benefits? Everyone receiving the cut. Some of that money will be saved, but some of it will be spent on consumption, benefiting the businesses where that money is spent.

Does it stimulate? Maybe. Just $13 billion will make it to taxpayers in 2009 and $95 billion in 2010. If people feel confident and spend the money, it would have a big impact in 2010. If not, most might be hoarded. The administration intends eventually to make the cut permanent. (See "Here's $9.62. Go Save The Economy.")

Energy Efficiency Retrofitting and Environmental Spending

Cost: $90 billion
Stimulative? No

What is it? $14.5 billion for energy-efficiency programs, $3.5 billion for renovation and energy-efficiency improvements for department of defense, $10 billion for federal loan guarantees on renewable energy systems, $6.5 billion for electric power transmission systems, $4.5 billion for the nation's electricity grid, $8 billion for environmental remediation, $20 billion to extend renewable energy tax credits, $11 billion to promote energy efficiency in government buildings and fleets, $12 billion for clean water programs.

Who benefits? Construction workers and manufacturers of energy-efficient and clean technology.

Does it stimulate? Not really. While it would increase funding for energy efficiency more than seven times the current funding level for such programs, the Congressional Budget Office anticipates that less than half the money will be spent in the first two years.

State Stabilization Fund

Cost: $79 billion
Stimulative? Yes

What is it? A fund to provide grants to states to shore up their budgets. States will receive a separate $5.2 billion in grants for community development projects. A further $87 billion will be spent to increase the percentage of Medicaid paid by the federal government instead of the states.

Who benefits? State employees and businesses, depending on revenue from states that might otherwise be facing job losses.

Does it stimulate? Probably. JPMorgan Chase estimates that state and local support for the stimulus package will provide a $46 billion GDP boost in 2009 and $27 billion in 2010.

Education Spending

Cost: $79 billion
Stimulative? No

What is it? $21 billion for school renovations, $14 billion for Pell grants, $27 billion for education programs like special education, $13 billion for a nonrefundable higher education tax credit.

Who benefits? In addition to the schools, programs and students themselves, the renovation projects would employ large numbers of construction workers.

Does it stimulate? Not when it matters. Many construction projects will have to go through approval and bidding processes. The CBO estimates that most of the money would be spent within two and a half years.

AMT Fix

Cost: $70 billion
Stimulative? Somewhat

What is it? A temporary measure to fix the Alternative Minimum Tax. The AMT was originally designed to stop tax dodgers but increasingly applies to middle income families.

Who benefits? More than 20 million families would be hit by the AMT if not for the temporary patch. The AMT has been fixed one year at a time for years and was likely to find its way into legislation even if not included in the stimulus bill.

Does it stimulate? A bit. The fix prevents millions of families from being hit with an unexpected tax increase when filing their 2009 taxes in 2010.

Infrastructure Spending

Cost: $54 billion
Stimulative? Not really

What is it? $9 billion for expanding broadband Internet, $27 billion for highway construction, $18 billion for Department of Transportation programs.

Who benefits? Construction companies and workers and manufacturers of broadband technology.

Does it stimulate? Don't bet on it. Spending on highway projects is traditionally slow-moving, frequently taking six to eight years to spend according to the CBO, meaning that the stimulus and job creation from the programs could be years away. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which would administer the broadband program, has a current budget of $17 million. The CBO estimates it would take the NTIA seven years to spend that amount of money.

Business Tax Cuts

Cost: $32 billion
Stimulative? Very likely

What is it? A provision that would allow businesses to expense investments and to use losses in unprofitable years to obtain refunds for past taxes.

Who benefits? Businesses who paid a lot of taxes in the past but are now suffering heavy losses will get some of that tax money back.

Does it stimulate? Very likely. Businesses would see their tax bill shrink by $138 billion in 2009 and 2010 but increase in the future. Many businesses would be poised to take advantage of the tax break quickly and would have an immediate incentive to make new investments.

Health Information Technology

Cost: $18 billion
Stimulative? No

What is it? A system of incentives, through Medicare and Medicaid, to encourage health care providers to digitize medical records.

Who benefits? The firms creating the software benefit initially. The government is hopeful that digitized medical records will benefit everyone in the system by reducing inappropriate tests, unnecessary paperwork, administrative overhead and medical errors and ultimately drive down costs.

Does it stimulate? No. Though a campaign promise of President Obama's, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that virtually no spending from the program would occur in 2009 and 2010, and thus the benefits would be many years away and could not be considered stimulus spending.

Research Spending

Cost: $14 billion
Stimulative? Not really

What is it? $5 billion for carbon capture research, $3 billion for grants to improve the criminal justice system, $2 billion for science and technology research grants, $1 billion for the census, $1 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, $2 billion for NASA

Who benefits? Researchers and universities, with the hope that unexpected breakthroughs could benefit nearly everyone.

Does it stimulate? Not really. The spending would employ or increase funding for researchers, and more than half the money could be spent in the first two years. This is a bet on breakthroughs, not a plan to get the economy moving tomorrow.

How much actually might do something?
Of CBO estimated $884 billion and $500 billion in interest, $275B or about 19% of the money spent might do some good.

Makin' a List, Checkin' It Twice

Northeast Intelligence Network (http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/ I'm never sure if they are going to link or not, but do read it all) reports that an al Qaeda member has posted a 15-point "wish list" of American and Canadian terror targets, asserting that sabotage by the group was respoinsible for causing the massive blackout that hit the US and Canada in August 2003 and promising more hits, including (the first two are introductory chest-beating):

3. (We will) disrupt electricity to fifty million Americans and Canadians, which caused moral and material losses...
4. (We will) hit the main stronghold of the American economy (international exchange).
5. Notice to the United Nations (which is) against Islam, which is based in New York City.
6. Notice to all investors that America has become a country not safe for business, banking or investing. For your information, the American economy depends entirely on investor confidence.
7. The arrest (takeover) of seven major airports, a blow to th airlines.
8. Disable nine nuclear reactors and this has not happened before is a strong economic, as the reactors, nine are in the states of New York and New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan.
9. Disruption of transportation: trains, cars and trucks .... etc., causing heavy casualties.
10. Disruption of the Internet, which depend upon (Internet data transfer) in commercial transactions.
11. Disruption of global banks based in New York.
12. And (thus causing) heavy losses to insurance companies.
13. Losses (financial due to) to a massive deployment of police and security forces.
14. The economy that will lose electricity in the United States and Canada will cost the U.S. Treasury at least ten billion U.S. dollars. And even burn the hearts of American officials, the cost of the mujahedeen to sabotage the lines feeding electricity will cost less than seven thousand dollars.
15. Deterioration of the U.S. dollar against other currencies.

According to NIN this post appeared on November 5, 2008. It is not clear how many of these points are intended to be understood as taking credit for current conditions and how many as plans for future strikes. Interestingly, the last paragraph begins:

"We say to the people of Afghanistan and Kashmir that the gift that Sheikh Osama bin Laden sends is on its way to the White House..."

It is not specified whether the "gift" is a "what" or a "who".

This poster appears to believe that the United Nations is "against Islam", which might lead one to question if he's been paying attention in recent years. It it also unclear whether the claim that AQ was responsible for the 2003 blackout is substantiated. However, given the developments over the past six months it is an interesting list to ponder.

Oil Jihad

This is from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies:

FDD's Walid Phares argues that that while both Washington and Wall Street are culpable for the financial meltdown, there may be a third player in the game: circles inside OPEC who seek to weaken America's ability to fight a war against Islamist terrorist regimes and movements, as well as to prevent America from achieving energy independence. Dr. Phares notes:

Sheikh Yussuf al Qardawi, Muslim Brotherhood ideologue and mentor of the Qatari-funded channel, spoke openly of Silah al Naft, i.e, "the weapon of oil." Indeed, it was called a weapon — as in a warfare situation — and most likely it was used as such. Of course, the producing "regimes" will deny the existence of a real strategy to bring the US to its knees by striking at its pumps. They will dismiss statements made by emirs and commentators in this regard. The "field Jihadists", however, won't deny the existence of such a battlefield.

For years now, Salafist web sites and al Qaeda spokespersons have loudly called for an "oil Jihad against infidel America and its lackeys." Online material is still circulating. But more revealing are the official speeches by Osama Bin Laden and his deputy on the "absolute necessity to use that weapon."

Read more here: Foreign Force Waging War Against U.S. Economy.

And here: OPEC's Heavy Hand.

Without Firing a Shot... ?

Interesting analysis of the financial crisis by Walid Phares. Phares acknowledges that "blame can be leveled in two directions" for the real estate market crisis. "First, towards those politicians who threatened political retaliation if the financial system didn’t lend beyond rational limits; and second, Wall Street financiers who risked breaking the financial system by relying on poor judgment regarding the public’s ability to overcome economic challenges." But, as he points out, the last straw that you should excuse the expression broke the camel's back may have come from outside the U.S.:

A thorough psycho-economic observation of the public’s financial behavior, however, tells us that there may be more to the crisis. It reveals that an outside “push” – I now coin it economic terrorism - may have been the tipping point of the collapse. For monitoring how and why buyers massively abandoned their plans shows that it followed, or coincided, with an abrupt rise in the cost of gas dividends. With the numbers at the pumps going ballistic, the cost of living suddenly rose, goods became less attainable and the price of enjoying, let alone using, the newly purchased properties soared. Hence, undoubtedly the lifestyle that was sought by the tens of millions of homes buyers wasn’t possible to achieve anymore; thus they surrendered financially in droves, taking the system down with them.

Economists will tell us if this diagnosis stands up. But if it does, then we cannot avoid investigating the factor that caused the strategic stress in real estate, which turned into economic chaos. In bypassing a narrow economic analysis, we can detect clearly the connection between the dizzying ups in petrol pricing and the slowing of American buying capacity. Stunningly, one can conclude that while it is sadly true that both Wall Street’s corruption and politicians’ abuse of the system handed the tools of doom to the middle class, Main Street’s rapid disenfranchisement was manufactured overseas, thousands of miles away, at the hands of OPEC, or perhaps in some quarters of the oil-producing Cartel.

As usual, Phares is insightful without overstating his case. It is certainly not stretching credibility to assume that OPEC members and the Islamic world in general have been keeping close watch on the U.S. economy, waiting for the right moment to throw a monkey wrench into the works. This sure as hell is the right moment: if Phares is right, their actions will help to propel their favored candidate into the Presidency of this country. "Economic terrorism" indeed -- and without firing a shot.

"Halal" products arrive in Spain "before this summer"

The arrival at Spanish market of the Islamic banking way has already been given an arrival day. Before this summer, all the people who would like to hire Halal-guaranteed financial products, that is, those who respect the Sharia law's legal obligations in these matters, would be able to. The main characteristic of the Islamic banking rules is that it does not produce interests or ribaa, because this is forbidden in the Coran, as a form of usury.

It has been already confirmed to El Confidencial Digital by the director of the Halal Institute of the Islamic Council, Isabel Arroyo. It is a business which is already moving between €300,000 and 500,000 millions around the world.

The responsible of the Halal Institute remembers that they have been working in this business with BanCaja -the entity born after an agreement between Spanish Post Service and German Deutsche Bank in Spain- during more than "a year and a half" and that, nowadays, they are continuing with the negotiations, just confronting the last obstacles they are finding to inagurate this kind of banking services. Anyway, arroyo is optimistic and assures, in statements to ECD that "before this summer" this new type of products will be available in Spain.

Oil And Dhimmitude

Interesting excerpt from this commentary over at The Daily Jot, the mission statement of which includes reporting and analyzing current events from a Biblical perspective:

The Saudi Arabian oil minister said there will be no discussion of increased oil production by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries at their upcoming meeting, meaning that OPEC will stand by and watch record oil prices drain the pocketbooks of American industry and citizens. Increased oil production by OPEC would bring relief to oil prices, which, in turn, would bring gasoline prices down. Instead, a 20-30 cent per gallon increase in gas prices can now be expected at pumps across the United States. This means that not only will prices go up at gas stations, but also the costs of goods transported, produced, and sold with the help of oil products will also rise substantially. Record oil prices be a reflection of an overall strategy of Islam to bring the United States into submission during jihad.

[...]

Dhimmitude is the Islamic system of governing populations conquered by jihad wars, encompassing all of the demographic, ethnic, and religious aspects of the political system. The word "dhimmitude" as a historical concept, was coined in 1983 to describe the legal and social conditions of Jews and Christians subjected to Islamic rule. Dhimmi was the name applied by the Arab-Muslim conquerors of indigenous non-Muslim populations who surrendered by a treaty, called a dhimma, to Muslim domination. All who are in submission to Islam are subject to Sharia law—the radical law of Islam.

Contemporary Islamists believe through dhimmi that when they have been given authority over something, that all of which they have been given is subject to them. For example, Islam receives permission to have a mosque in a town, then the entire town is under Islamic authority. If they have been given control over oil, then those who use the oil are subject to them....

Now, I don't regularly visit The Daily Jot. In fact, I found the above essay via a Google alert for "dhimmitude." Therefore, I don't know if I agree with all the interpretations espoused there. However, part of the last paragraph in the essay jumped out at me; therefore, I want to bring it to our attention here:

Contemporary Islamists believe through dhimmi that when they have been given authority over something, that all of which they have been given is subject to them....If they have been given control over oil, then those who use the oil are subject to them.

When I received my exorbitant heating bill, payment due in a few weeks (almost $800 for less than half a fill!), I certainly felt subject to blackmail, if not specifically pushed into a state of economic dhimmitude. Harvesting and burning my patch of woods in my living-room fireplace go only so far.

In the long run, my personal economic condition is of no importance. However, the global economy is now at the mercy of the oil sheikhs. According to this article in the Washington Post, the financial squeeze is on:

The biggest jump in gasoline prices in five months contributed to another elevated reading on consumer prices in October. With pump prices surging still, inflation is expected to be even worse in November.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that its Consumer Price Index rose by 0.3 percent last month. It was the second straight month at that level after prices had fallen by 0.1 percent in August and risen by 0.1 percent in July.

Economists said consumers should brace for a worse performance in November, given an even bigger increase in gasoline prices so far this month.

Labor Department economist Patrick Jackman said gasoline alone could add four-tenths of a percentage point to overall inflation in November.

[...]

Economists are concerned that rising energy prices will leave consumers with less money to spend on other items and will depress their spending, which accounts for two-thirds of economic activity. That would add to the list of problems already facing a slowing economy.

"Consumers are getting squeezed between falling house prices, rising mortgage payments and now rising oil prices," said David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poor's in New York....

Today, the following photo appeared above the fold in the business section of the Washington Post:


Caption:

Delegates pass a portrait of the late King Saud at OPEC's third summit in its 47 years, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The twenty-first-century sword of Islam is control of the oil market. The following excerpt from this article accompanying the above picture bears out my contention:

Friday, November 16, 2007

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- In September 1960, after the mighty Standard Oil of New Jersey dictated a cut in the price it was willing to pay for Middle Eastern oil, an angry group of leaders from the region and Venezuela got together and founded the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

No one paid much attention. Two months later, a 43-page CIA report on "Middle East Oil" devoted only four lines to the new group, according to Daniel Yergin's history "The Prize."

Few would dismiss OPEC with such brevity today. Its often-squabbling members have wrested control of their oil fields from the big oil companies. In the 1970s, they administered two price shocks to the world economy. And now, a decade after oil prices collapsed during a financial crisis in Asia, unrefined crude is hovering around its all-time inflation-adjusted peak, channeling as much as $700 billion a year to exporting nations and threatening to slow even the world's strongest economies.

That's why this weekend, when the heads of state from the 13-member group gather here for OPEC's third summit, it should be a celebration. Yet the summit's Saudi hosts worry that the meeting could turn into a political embarrassment.

Concerned about their image abroad, the Saudis do not want to be seen as the villains behind the new oil shock and are pointing fingers at speculators, institutional investors and traders. And they fret that feisty leaders such as Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez and Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could turn the summit into an anti-American political circus rather than a sober reflection on OPEC's future.

[...]

There is a paradox about OPEC on the eve of its summit. Decades after its founding, higher prices are still central to the group's purpose. Yet OPEC's bland slogan for this meeting is "providing petroleum, promoting prosperity, protecting the planet."

OPEC Secretary General Abdullah bin Salem al-Badri insists that the organization doesn't have a target price and that it simply wants to stabilize the volatile oil market for consumers, producers and investors.

[...]

Ultimately, power in OPEC is wielded largely by Saudi Arabia, which holds the overwhelming majority of the cartel's spare production capacity. That, plus its willingness to trim production to boost prices, makes Saudi Arabia the group's swing producer.

"OPEC is an organization that is supposed to have a big say on the market," said a Saudi government strategist who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak for the government. "Instead, it is an organizational front for the policy of one country while giving a lot of publicity to countries that wouldn't get as much attention otherwise."

Other OPEC nations are producing near maximum capacity. War-torn Iraq is far short of its production peak. Its oil minister yesterday said production was up to 2.5 million barrels a day. About a third of Nigeria's production has been shut down by an insurgency. Venezuela's disputes with foreign oil companies and its own oil-patch professionals has led to sagging output. And Iran, due to its stubborn bargaining and international economic sanctions, has been unable to lure foreign expertise and investment to fully exploit its big oil and gas reserves.

Altogether, these developments have sliced at least 2.5 million barrels a day, or about 8 percent, from OPEC output without any organizational decision to restrict production.

The Saudi kingdom, however, is in the middle of boosting its production capacity to 12.5 million barrels a day by 2009, up from 11.3 million. Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi says that ample inventories indicate that there is no need to pump more oil now, though some Saudi officials say the kingdom will do that next month anyway to force down prices.

But if OPEC forecasts are wrong and consumption outpaces production, then OPEC could become no different from non-OPEC producers, simply pumping as fast as possible while the price finds a balancing point.

Economists say it is difficult for any cartel to survive for long. Artificially high prices tend to bring suppliers into a market or drive customers to substitute other materials. But in the oil industry, those alternative paths are lengthy ones. New oil supplies take years to find and develop, and they tend to be in more and more difficult places....

Thanks to lack of foresight (Something else?) on the part of our leaders, the West is being held hostage by oil. Loosing those shackles will take time. Meanwhile, our economy is in a squeeze, whether or not each of us yet feels that squeeze.

How much more belt-tightening is possible with OPEC in control? Another 9/11 isn't necessary. Economic jihad is in full play, and the West is about to pay a terrible price for its addiction to oil.