Welcome to Slavic Arabia

Once again, the Caucasus rumble with the barking of Georgian and Russian arms. Ukraine stands defiant against Russian sabre-rattling. This is life in the old Russian Empire of course! One which is slowly rebuilding through snake-like oil pipelines which are slithering it's way into Europe.

Russia controls over a quater of the world's natural gas and 6-10% of the world's oil and Europe's 700+ million people are in dire need of energy resources. Russia can comply with them however putting too much trust in Russia puts the continent in peril and hobbles it's long-term goals in relation to Russia. In fact, Prime Minister Putin wrote a thesis about using energy as a tool for foreign policy. This is something that countries like Ukraine have experienced when Russia levies gas embargoes against it.

One can easily blame Russia as a vengeful power and it has a reason to be. When the USSR fell the economy collapsed and crooks took over it from the shadows of the Black Market. Death rates for infants and young adults the same time Chechens fought a guerilla war against the Russian Federation. The demographic tumble that Russia is facing is close to unprecedented. Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Alcoholism cause close to 1 million Russians die without being replaced in their population per year and that's not a problem that Gazprom can fix.

Russian grievances against the West, particularily NATO augment when anti-missile defence systems, the Serbian War, US troops in Central Asia, the Iraq War, Colour Revolutions and the independance of Kosovo are remembered. I'm not saying that Russia is right about these issues, it's not wrong about any of them either. It's just that Russians feel when they were weak under the control of a drunk (Boris Yeltsin) they were abused and taken advantage of (which is quite right). All these problems exacerbate when the Caucasian powder-keg especially Georgia is recalled.

Although Russia was successful, it's economy almost 'tanked' on it and old problems didn't disappear such as US encroachment unto the Russian near-abroad. Russia's one trick pony isn't a wonder drug to the Russian illness of stagnation considering that domestic consumption with oil will compete with European demands, European diversification of Energy and possible energy demand from the People's Republic of China. With it's only commodity being energy, Russia could soon find itself being the Slavic Arabia of Eurasia. It might be wealthy, but only the autocratic elites who right now are building Swiss bank accounts with help from the Kremlin will benefit. It's young people will be unemployed since the resource curse shall take hold and its demographic decline coupled with the rise of minorites (especially Muslims in Russia) will force Russia's hand and further weaken the state.

The fifth Russian Empire doesn't look to prosperous to me. The first fell to the Mongols, the second was ravaged by Ivan the Terrible, the Third was shocked by war with the Japanese and the German, the Fourth was bankrupted by the Free-Market, the Fifth will enslave itself and fall victim to its own avarice. Welcome to Slavic Arabia.

France Is America and America Is France

Something has just occurred to me about the nature of the French Republic and that of the American Republic. They seem to be very, very similiar in their ethos. This strikes as fascinating because many Americans, American Francophiles and Frenchmen can remember when hating France was the popular thing to do in the United States. From mocking it's military history to naming French Fries, "Freedom Fries" the toxic relation between Bush and Jacques Chirac became Nationalist fodder, especially for the Fox News crowd within the United States. I wonder what's the French equivalent? Whatever Jean-Marie Le Pen happens to watch in Brittany I suppose. Let's take a look at the United States and France.

The United States was forged from wars against the tyranny Britain to be an independant nation of rugged individualism for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness against the threats of British Imperialism and the Natives. American ingenuity and good luck forged a global empire which is the most powerful nation which has ever existed following victory in the Second World War.

Modern France was forged from revolutionary wars against the tyranny of the Bourbons to be an independant nation for liberty, fraternity and equality against the threats of Britain, Austria, Prussia and a whole bunch of European nations whom it deemed as "despotic savages". French elan and shrewdness formed a global empire which collapsed following the Second World War.

You want more evidence of the similarity?

French always try and pin themselves to be anti-globalist and anti-American and pro-French when their policies and economy (not to mention the zest of the nation seems to be pseudo-American or very French; more on this further down). French business is good business for Europe. The Fifth French Republic has a bigger economy than the UK and when coupled with that of Germany it forms the Economic Heart of Europe just like how the United States and Canada are the economic heart of North America. (Interesting considering how the US and France has invaded both Germany and Canada. Not to mention their other neighbours). If French trailer trash had a main shopping destination it'd be Carrefour, the second biggest retailer in the world after Wal-Mart and they'd probably eat at McDonald's too considering that the McDonald's franchise in France is one of the most profitable in the World. Both Carrefour and Wal-Mart have been accused of undermining Capitalism, such is hypershopping.

The rhetorical nonsense that both nations spew is nearly identical. Both view themselves as a beacon to civilization and view their accomplisments whether it be in the arts or in technology as the ultimate contribution to humanity. To paraphrase a certain French foreign minister "Both France and the United States in the face of history before mankind". I guess fighting Muslims whether they be in Algeria or Iraq pays.

Look at the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico and then take a look at parts of Lebanon, Senegal and French Polynesia. Both have left their colonial markings. It seems that burgers and croissants do fill bellies just as easily as anything else.

Comparisons aside, the national psyche of both these nations comes off as arrogant. To the point annoyance, which is why it's extremely humourous to hear diplomatic shouting matches from Paris and Washington. If the United States is France, then what lessons can it gleem from the Fifth French Republic. After all, both were at the apex of power (and third largest population behind the same two nations who are number one and two today). The United States could learn to avoid messy revolutions, class warfare and wars against a perceived national enemy whom you could squeeze money out of rather then squeeze blood and your own national treasure in the process. The United States could learn that sometimes giving up is the best thing to do when a future Chinese Army of 1 million troops lands on the Western Seabord, or if you're fighting a protracted war in Iran for nearly 20 years (my future scenarios sounds awful don't they?). Realizing that if you're a Super or Hyperpower now, it's most likely you're still going to be a "Power" 200 years from now is a good step in the right direction.

Hopefully, the United States of America concentrates on it's current Republic. Five seems too many.

Cannibalism - A Most Human Thing To Do

Humans like to do a lot of things to our enemies when we've vanquished them. Such as desecrating their bodies like how Achilles pulled Hectors body using a chariot. Eating their dead foes like what's going on in the Congo today. Raping the vulnerable members of the enemy society or taking their young so they can culture-washed. One of the most endearing things people like to do to each other is eat each other. I'm sure there's lots of reasons for consuming the flesh of another human being. Necessity for survival, cultural practises and of course the favourite - insanity. I'm more interested in cultural necessity. What causes society to adopt Cannibalism as a major part of their culture? What made the Aztecs of Central Mexico, Papua New Guineans and Maoris eat their enemies?

For starters, these societies were highly belligerent. The Aztecs conquered most of their neigbhours and had "Flower Wars" with those they'd already conquered to keep their stock of human blood fresh. Papua New Guineans couldn't start an upward trend in their demography until they stopped waging tribal warfare and Maoris ate other Maoris especially during their musket wars and any European sailor that happened to end up their captive. In fact, when they committed genocide on the Chatham Islands upon the Moriori's, they ate them on masse.

These societies are also littered with taboos and are highly religious. The only reason why the Aztecs sacrificed so many people was because they thought by doing so they'd keep the sun alive for another 52 years. The Papua New Guineans were also strongly attached to their cultural beliefs and even made new ones such as Cargo-Cults when Europeans arrived. The Maoris lived from infancy to old age according to tapu (or sacred taboos) while respecting the mana of their chiefs.

It seems that endemic warfare with the powerful addition of religion can allow Cannibalism to become entrenched in a society. With, or without disastrous consequences. Aztec flower wars brought them enemies which the Spanish utilized, Papua New Guineans began dying of brain diseases via eating human brains. Maoris shot and ate one another during the Musket Wars which nearly destroyed them.

I highly doubt in today's world that Congolese would adopt Cannibalism as the way to go. Guerrilla cults have brought it in as a way to sow terror and to have "spiritual acceptance" to the crimes they commit daily in Central Africa. Besides, one of the greatest fears of an African is to be eaten alive. When slavery hit a peak in the 18th century, inland West Africans believed Europeans took slaves to eat them. Humans are a strange species, we're the only Planetary Predator that also kills one another for cultural reasons. This is what happens when you're a thinking ape.... a killing ape.