War for Profit

The Situation: America makes noise about action against Iran. Diplomatic pressure, sanctions, regime change, nuclear assault, etc. Why? Fear over Iran getting nuclear weapons.

Isn't there something morally vacant about threatening to use nuclear weapons to prevent another country from getting nuclear weapons?

So, the result is high gas prices because stock market wankers are stupid, silly gnats. More angry young Arabs looking for things and people to blow up.

America's problem is this. They make noise about Iran possibly moving towards getting nuclear weapons. But they get all chummy with a military dictator who actually has nuclear weapons and provides sanctuary to Osama Bin Laden. But that's a different story.

Iran claims they only want a nuclear power program, not a nuclear weapons program. That's why they need uranium enrichment facilities. At the same time, they don't want to be bullied by the U.S. Of course, who does?

There appears to be an easy solution to the problem, but it won't come to pass because it won't lead to another Middle-eastern democratic capitalist paradise. But here's the solution to the problem.

Because enriched uranium for civilian uses is nowhere near enriched enough for military uses, America and other countries can agree to simply sell enriched uranium to Iran for the same amount that Iran would have to spend to enrich it themselves. That way, Iran can have nuclear power, can't make a bomb, don't need enrichment facilities and aren't financially penalized for it.

Sadly, however, it won't work. America wouldn't do it if it didn't make money for them. Peace is not worth the cost of losing a bit of money on trade of enriched uranium. Also, without war or distinct possibility of war, U.S. defense spending can't be maintained and corporations get unhappy.

Further, if the U.S. is ever going to leave Iraq, they will need somewhere to go. Saudi Arabia isn't likely to want them to come back there, so they will need to move around like a plague of locusts. Perhaps instead of oil futures, stock markets should start trading war futures. And the price for Iran is going up. Better get in on the ground floor if you can.

I'm Sure This Makes Sense To Someone

What, exactly, is the point of crossing guards? All elementary schools have crossing guards nearby. I suppose the point is that kids don't get run over.
Driving past any high school it's patently obvious that it doesn't teach kids how to cross a road safely.
When I was a kid, other kids were crossing guards (usually sixth-graders). They'd make a few kids wait, then make the cars wait to let them cross as a group. When they went off to junior high school, I don't recall any kids getting run over. And the Grade Six crossing guards were cheap.

Near the school where I work, there is also a public and a catholic elementary school nearby, and so paid crossing guards in their little uniforms are everywhere. This year, I have yet to see a crossing guard assist an unescorted child across a road. The only kids I have seen cross at a supervised crosswalk have been with their parents. And, of course, the crossing guard will dive out into the road long before they get to the intersection, so that they don't have to stop or look which I'm sure will teach them valuable safety lessons for years to come. Of course, the irony is that the busy intersections have no crossing guards and kids are left to their own devices.

The stupid part of crossing guards is that, with rare exceptions, they help mothers cross roads pushing infants in strollers or cyclists that should be obeying stop signs and shouldn't be on the sidewalk anyway.

And how much money does this cost in a year? No wonder we're in debt.