"MID EAST BRIGHT SPOT FOR INT'L INVESTORS"

While US capital markets experience their predetermined "Big Bang," in contrast, the above, following headline sums it up neatly,

www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080917081036/lok081000080917

Regarding SWF investment,

www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080917103803/lok103800080917

From one of my other favorites, EFG-Hermes,
"Time to Enter..."

www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080917054807/lok54800080917

This is the Middle East speculative Bubble and transformation I've been following for so long, orchestrated primarily from the so-called GCC states.

Another one of those numerous open secrets, right in front of everyone's nose.

The first and primary sacrificial lamb in the above "transformative" process has been Iraq, Hussein and the Baath Arab SOCIALIST Party.

For an alternative, eloquent, subjective refraction of the consequences of this process, above,

http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m47275

Another key development and direction of the winds of change blowing down the regime change and congruency Iraq/Iran/US corridor, the following delay in the Kurdistan Gas City opening celebrations,

www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/refid/E2F-16-09-2008/article/36561

Too many developments, too numerous for me to itemize and follow.
Consider the above representative of the canary in the coalmine.

Now, I have absolutely NO problem with any forthcoming regime change from Iran in Iraq to something or someone else.
Within the American power vacuum, the Palin-McCain candidacy does represent a change of sorts, change to an old time, classical notion of nationalism, which will be comparable to that of Putin-Russia at the moment.
They will balance out each other.
And, this will affect policy abroad, including Iran and Russia.

Since any possibility of a viable, organized Left alternative in the US is sabotaged by our fake Left, Vichy Democrats and Fascist unions, whenever it arises, McCain-Palin fills the void by default and design.

Putin's Russia is certainly not defending and projecting socialism either at home or throughout the globe.
The Russian economy remains highly privatized, with the one notable exception of Gazprom, 51% state owned, and the source of much power projection, export, leverage and income.
For some excellent reporting on the intricacies of Russia's oligarchs/capitalists, John Helmer is always the man.

I will link to 3 of his most recent articles, in case anyone is interested,

www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page39?oid=62712&sn=Detail

www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/JI16Ag01.html

www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/JI17Ag01.html

So, basically, the US will do something similar, a la Teddy Roosevelt, someone to which both McCain and Palin like to refer.

As for Palin's candidacy, here, it continues to cause much commentary. Much, most of the commentary I see, hear, read about her person or candidacy is sophomoric.
Lots of knee jerk reactions, jargon, name calling, caricature and arguments reductio ad absurdum.

I do not know even how to get a handle on this sort of logic.

It's most curious to me that she is singled out as the embodiment of Evil, Danger, Ignorance, Threat, Stupidity, whatever, incarnate.

The most dangerous woman in the US or the world, according to some of the hyperbole.

In reality, both her person and her career pale in comparison to all and everyone else that I could name who actually have made their careers and policies in ways that disastrously impact the world, globally and locally.
In comparison, her career is a benign one, even stellar, in the sense that she negotiated deals with the major energy companies in behalf of the public far better than many others.
That is the bulk of her public service record.

Those are just facts, her legislative and political record.

Since she has not been on the national scene and she is not a CEO or representative of any major power broker, corporation, etc., one can not really say much else about her policies or record other than Alaska, where, basically, she functioned as a manager, an administrator, or, if you prefer, a CEO, in her job as the Governor of Alaska, and, as such, she did a more than reasonably decent and competent job representing her constituents.

It is alot more valuable and instructive to understand WHY she is/was popular amongst more or less working class constituents and why such a vacuum exists in the first place.
The problem is NOT her.
She did NOT create the vacuum.
The fault, dear Brutus, lay within, which is why those most opposing her are not about to dissect their own role.
Much better to cast aspersions and throw stones.