Monday, November 15, 2004

New Post to Global Guerrillas  Iraq's Security System Meltdown.  The battle of Fallujah should be seen in the context of a larger campaign to build an effective Iraqi military.  Using that yardstick, we won the battle but lost the campaign. 6:19:45 PM    Comment_ Trackback []

Riding on the back of blue states  This table explains a lot.  Blue states contribute the lion's share of federal dollars.  They are the overtaxed group.  Red states, by and large, are siphons.  11:30:05 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

CSM.  The number of hedge funds has increased at least fivefold over the past decade to 8,800 globally. Their assets have risen 15-fold during the same period and may reach $1 trillion by the end of this year. Since they now account for about 40 percent of trading activity on US stock markets, perhaps as much as 70 percent on some days, they do sway stock prices. At issue is how much influence they really wield.  NOTE:  large trades move prices much, much more than an equivalent share volume of small trades by individual investors.  Hedge funds are almost completely free of oversight. 10:14:55 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

B.  Iran cuts a deal with the EU to stop uranium enrichment.   It is only a question of when, not if, Iran resumes enrichment.  This is a timing modifaction (it allows them to pick the right time for the resumption of activity) and it has the added bonus of dividing the EU from the US. 10:05:41 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

WSJ.  Saudi Oil revenue booms.  However, $110 billion is far from sufficient to handle its rapidly growing population (divided into ~ 500 tribes) particularly given the excesses of the 5,000 princes of the royal family. 7:59:05 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

System attacks continue throughout Iraq with ongoing attacks against Iraq's security market (a multitude of successful attacks against Iraq's emerging volunteer force of police and national guardsman), oil infrastructure (a refinery pipeline and oil wells in Iraq's northern fields were destroyed), and people flow (the Polish Embassy, the Sheraton and Palestine hotels, and the Green Zone were attacked). UPDATE:  The ferocity of the US counter-assualt in Fallujah has achieved one major thing:  it has united Arab Sunnis.  Arab recruits from across the Middle East are now pouring into Iraq.  Also,  the co-opetition between the disparate groups in Iraq's bazaar is stronger than ever. 7:44:55 AM    Comment_ Trackback []