The Noise

Six in the morning, deep into the REM stages of slumber.
Sixteen paws, each holding four pointed, thick nails loudly ticking and tacking against the constantly creaking wood floor directly above.


For dogs this is the best time to romp around. Wood antiques, loose window panes, and random metal trinkets hanging from rusted nails in drywall clamor loudly.
A screeching voice pierces the air every fifteen minutes, "STOP!"
What is with all the fucking noise? Too many goddamn dogs in the house.


Eight AM, the phone rings...ignore. The phone rings again...ignore. It rings once more, plastic cracks against a concrete basement wall then hits the floor.


Two PM, loud stomping shakes the ceiling, two voices speak for a few seconds then loudly scream at one another. The words are pointless, suffocated by the noise.
A car door shuts, peeling tires squeal.


Five PM, the door slams, a solo voice deeply growls into the phone. A grunting soliloquy of four-letter words shoots through bone then trails off. The door slams again.


How can anyone think with all the noise?


Seven PM, Outside for a cigarette to calm the nerves. The sunset is magnificent, deep red and blue skies greet sparkling darkness.
The scene is interrupted by a coach's whistle.


"Don't ever do that again!" He hollers to an eleven year old, plastic pads crash over and over.


Being told what to do loses effectiveness with age, but the noise will always strike a nerve. Ask the hypocrite middle-aged neighbor, calling the police on teens with a house to themselves on Friday night.


The noise destroys concentration, boils the blood, it can cause madness.
The only thing worse than the noise, is no noise at all.

Henry's Day

Henry’s alarm clock buzzed loudly, gradually increasing volume with every passing second, to remind him every minute asleep was a minute lost. He woke promptly, but only sensed darkness. The continued tradition of breakfast before dawn followed as his wife Maggie readied herself for work. For years during these times Henry mapped out the day; neighbors to visit, properties to fix, family members to check on. Well over a decade of retirement, and Henry refused to relax, life lacked lethargy and so did Henry.

“I’m off to the hospital” Maggie’s southern draw echoed, as she kissed Henry on the cheek.

Bells above jingled as she slammed the insulated door Henry built years before. Moments later, Henry heard the door of a new model SUV shut and drive off. Annoyed by the sudden silence, Henry guided himself to the small kitchen television, and turned to the news. He repeatedly dipped a cold spoon into a cereal bowl Maggie poured, then paused with the spoon mid-air.

“The DOW is down even further today, which make us wonder...when is this going to end?” The uppity newscaster announced.

Henry shook his head, a blurry sunrise rested in his left peripheral. He labored for decades as a carpenter and as manager of a lawn-mower company, only to see his life savings sucked dry from economic collapse and from the surgeries. At twelve he lost most sight in the left eye, and at seventy-five he lost all sight in the right. Expensive doctors told Henry he may see again, so every three months after the surgery he took the pricey injections, worked hard on rehab exercises, and stayed determined. The surgery, exercises, and determination never brought back clear vision. Henry muted the television.

Henry was never a man of prayer, he saw himself as a practical man. He became even more practical after witnessing the deterioration and death of his first wife...Schizophrenia. After her death, the lawn-mower company offered him a new position, one in South Carolina. The carpentry trade was too rugged for a man of his age, so he took the position. It was a chance to leave behind pains of loss, a way to keep working and living without distracting emotion. Henry’s son, Henry Jr. followed in Dad’s footsteps, and became a formidable carpenter back in his home state of Ohio through the years apart.

Henry thought about his son, both wives, and his four daughters over breakfast. Every few weeks he would call and ask how weather was up North (it tended to be warm in the Summer and cold in the Winter) The short period of reflection and stagnation turned to frustration, so Henry walked outside. The stroll became a struggle for Henry; down two flights of stairs, across a steep lawn, and to the dock, where a pontoon and speed boat rocked in crisp lake waves. Dry air told Henry the boats would soon need raised from the lake. For a few moments, Henry didn’t think about anything; wind played the water below, wood clanked against rock, and every few moments a Gar’s fin splashed in the air as it preyed on bluegill below. Soon the noises sounded too familiar, boring Henry into another task- retrieving the mail.

With his head cocked to the right Henry slowly shuffled away from the lake and to the front yard, bracing himself against every tree and landmark on the way. Dead pine needles cushioned thick crab grass and clay beneath him. Inside the old black mailbox a thick stack of magazines, letters, bills, and advertisements filled the space.

“Damnit” Henry spat allowed, pulling a toothpick from his pocket to chew on, a way to calm nerves after quitting chewing tobacco.

Henry forgot to bring outgoing mail, knowing he would later retrace his footsteps, only taking time away from the day’s other tasks. He closed the box and walked to the front door.Once inside, Henry passed a computer he never used and a keyboard he never played in a room he never occupied in route to the kitchen. He slapped the mail onto the kitchen table, then grabbed a pen, checkbook, and large magnifier from a miniature basket on the table. Reading every letter and paper received became the day’s most time consuming task. He wrote a check and set it aside for Maggie’s review, then continued until he came across a letter concerning his grandson.

“The amount below is delinquent” The letter read.

Henry shook his head in disgust. He never went to college, yet he owned two cars, a truck, a lake-house, three boats, a jet ski, an arsenal of guns, and four wheeler, all in cash, and all from hard work. Years before he co-signed a student loan for his grandson. Henry Jr. wanted to name the grandson Henry III, but Henry Jr.’s ex named him Dustin, citing Henry Jr.’s drug and physical abuse as reasons Henry didn’t deserve the freedom. Dustin was the first of his mother and father’s family to attend a big University, and now the bastard had trouble paying his debts.

Every few months a letter would arrive at Henry’s house in regards to the loan, but Dustin always gave excuses. He was living in a friend’s closet, couldn’t find a job, had been laid off, he simply couldn’t afford his school debt, which he compared to a mortgage. Henry never missed a payment on anything, and didn’t understand how anyone could. Dustin’s mother didn’t work for years as she raised Dustin’s brothers, Henry assumed the same lethargy moved to Dustin.

Henry hadn’t seen Dustin in years. Henry Jr. moved to South Carolina at one point, and Dustin lived back North with his other family. He visited every summer before college, sometimes staying for weeks, the two fished, drank beers, and worked alongside one another on Henry’s properties. In high school Dustin worked at Henry’s favorite local restaurant back in Ohio. Henry offered to pay for the business and franchising rights, so Dustin would run the business. The fifteen year old Dustin declined, saying he wanted to stay in school and with his brothers. Though he was often disappointed, Henry missed Dustin.

Henry guided himself along the kitchen table into the living room, where dusty pictures of a young, sixty-year old Henry sat atop a fireplace in the living room, below a large mouth bass mounted on the wall. Henry sat comfortably in his large recliner next to the phone, feeling his way around the wide key pad to call Dustin and remind him of his obligations. The phone rang, but Dustin never answered. It was eight in the morning, so Henry called again, hoping to wake Dustin up before work, or to simply wake him from unemployment, Henry never knew what Dustin was up to.

On the other side of the ringing Dustin looked at the incoming calls and ignored them. He was broke, homeless and far in debt from school, but knew none of this mattered to his grandfather, all that mattered was a payment which was late. Dustin remembered times when Henry called him every few weeks to ask about the weather or sent a birthday card which always arrived on the right day. Recently Dustin only received angry letters from Henry, or condescending phone messages about “all that education”. He once looked up to his grandfather, but now only wanted to be left alone. After years of a broken and awkward relationship with his father, Dustin only felt tied to the family through his grandfather, but he no longer felt that connection after the nasty called and letters.

“That makes me so damn hot in the collar” Henry shouted to himself, hanging up the phone.

He rested for a few moments in the recliner, seething from the lack of respect and gratefulness. In hopes to appease his feelings he called his son Henry Jr., only to hear more ringing with no answer. Henry Jr. lived in Ohio with his new wife but traveled the country, working on different building contracts from state to state. Henry again hung up the phone and shook his head. The morning heated as it neared noon. Henry sat in darkness, tired of the taunting nature of a blurred son in the corner of his eye.

A Pint of Humanity

Daggers of Sun attempted to pierce the thick fog, crashing into overbearing molecules. The mixture spread across open land in one cloud of dim light. Morning dew caused grass to glisten, illuminating the vast hillside region where pockets of men anxiously awaited battle in scattered troughs. The divided fractions of fragile creatures bickered and plotted without knowledge of simultaneous bickering and plotting among multiple other groups of hill folk, adding volume to buckets of plausible and possible outcomes.

Deep, hardened voices of un-worried warriors carried meters into the atmosphere, transforming into high pitched squeaks squelched by miles of mist. While separate but equal sized specks of humanity contemplated issues such as “victory” or “tactics”, moist air managed to easily evaporate without notice or resistance. Further in the distance condensation sat atop strawberry fields, which patiently anticipated a plucking.

Humid heat dominated the aging day as soldiers’ stomachs saturated pan fried breakfasts, unfamiliar aromas attracted the attention of nearby animals though unable to identify origins of the scents. Restless rallies of the random rowdies signified growing tension inside the battalions, leaders enticed followers who left behind the lethargic and marched up their respective hills.

The clans converged, carrying flags of different creatures and creative symbols. Up close, blood splattered, bodies mangled, and men turned into beasts; animals walked by nervously, aware of the unnatural culmination of confrontation between their masters. Far away, other events occurred and passed, ignorant of the brutal bravery and blatant savageness. The Sun rose alongside mounting violence, then fell as forces waned and lives vanished.

Only the most resilient of fighters survived in each army, but every weapon emptied of bullets. The remaining yelled in efforts to persuade one another. Eloquent presentations morphed into “hmms” and rabbling, clashing words created one Neanderthal poem.

“Abortion! Abortion! Proportion, extortion, divorcing and war, greedy and poor! Money money money, money. Money.....money! Prison, drugs, regulation, hugs, left right, in hindsight. Taxes and faxes, rackets then rockets, pickets and pockets, politician, superstition! Science! Gods! distribution of Ipods! Media, propaganda, conspiracy, Miranda. Arrest, detest, constitution, prostitution!”

Night expanded and stars flickered in the dark, worlds and realities drifted by, unaware of time or rhyme. Imaginative creatures collided and collapsed in formations while crickets tweeted and chirped. The crickets were war survivors forming federal government, figuring who founded and who would lead, who could stay and who must leave. The insignificants slept soundly, their dreams appraised significance of the day.

Just as the sun came and went, the men would gather and the men would split. A great flood came and washed away the SOB’s, just like something defeating disease. The scene faded and shrunk, smaller and smaller into the unknown. Giant stars and clusters of mass grouped into tiny molecules and waves. The waves fluidly passed through the mind of a man. To the clashing specks of different ideologies and arguments, the man was God. To God, he was but a man, washing away cluttered thoughts of the day, vicious debates over cities and states, drowned with a pint and some laughs with his mates.

Know Your True Enemy

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2010/08/15/nr.islamic.center.debate.cnn?hpt=Sbin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYvdBM3EHxk

These videos are more evidence of religious people and trained persuasive clowns pitting Americans against each other and attempting to rally others for what I think is their desire for one last ignorant religious or race battle. Using a Christian medium to interpret a different religion is almost as dangerous and isolating as formulating policy based on organized religious beliefs, especially those that parallel propaganda used for Christian Crusades in centuries past. Islam, Christianity, and Judaism all have blood on their hands. That is the reality.

I`m not siding with any religion, as in many Muslim media outlets Muslim superiority is being preached along with the call for a battle with Christianity. All I have seen in the media is a reoccurring theme of using illegal immigration debate, religion, race, and and natural disasters to cloud foreign policy and domestic monetary issues which we the people have no control over, but actually affect our day to day lives.

Pay attention to what`s going on between Israel and Iran right now, as it won`t reach the public nerve until it`s too late. Pay attention to the fact that almost half of the banker bailout money was given to foreign banks that have no interest in the American people, the other half given to domestic ones which also care not about the American people, and would spend large portions of our taxes to give higher ups raises and expensive vacations.

Instead of these issues getting repetitive attention, the issue of a mosque in New York takes the country by storm. Controversies like this benefit those who wish to pass legislation under our noses.

The military industrial complex of the US is gaining enemies of all walks of life across the world, yet we focus on our boogieman "Islam". Sadly, after NAFTA, our main industry is military weapons, which depend on war to survive. The real enemy of the United States people is the federal government, and both political parties, who are sucking all people dry of financial stability while pushing forward policies that don`t reflect the non-interventionist history and beliefs of most American citizens.

They do all this, while aggressively spreading fear among the population and stealing constitutional rights from both the people and states. Politics has overtaken policy. Dividing ourselves based on self identified differences makes this task easier. The media puts up a smokescreen to help put a curtain over the real evil being done to the people. Divide and conquer, make the masses feel they are "other" from one another, so that the important debates on our future are held behind closed doors. To be explained by a White House spokesperson who only knows the phrase "next question".

Both parties are guilty since the 80`s of ripping out our heart and foundation (industry) then shipping it overseas to benefit the top 1% of the population, American born CEO`S that spend most of their lives vacationing on foreign beaches. Tax breaks hit top people in the companies, but nothing trickles down to Americans, nor does it trickle down to the underpaid foreigners working these labor jobs for dirt.

This is where our attention and energy should be focused. Instead, a decade after 9/11, the emotional nerve that day created for us all is constantly struck by politicians and the media. The striking of this nerve blinds us over and over again, paralyzing our ability to look at other problems. I`m not in New York or Arizona. My state`s day to day battle is to bring production jobs back to this country. I believe this to be the battle most towns and cities across the country face.

The American worker and student is becoming less valued. Our job security is constantly at risk, often we no longer have pride in our jobs, but contempt for them. Because of pay, because bosses are degrading, because many jobs are life consuming or dead end.

I do not fear terrorism, Islam, or Al-Qaeda, none hold the ability to ever threaten the sovereignty or infrastructure of America outside of planning cowardly attacks on innocent civilians, with the objective of spreading fear.

I fear those who everyday work to strip us of our constitutional rights in the name of the War on Terror. I fear those who make it their agenda to take the 2nd amendment rights from responsible gun owners who wish to protect their property, family and country. I fear those who believe it is OK to place cameras on street corners in order to increase revenue from fines, or those who cut deals with private phone companies in order to expand domestic espionage, or give government contracts to already large companies so they can continue to expand and dominate our market instead of letting competition play on an even field.

I fear any man in a suit who believes it is duty to tell me and the rest of my people "it`s for your own good" without in depth explanation or facts. I fear any straight-faced TV personality that sucks emotion from war and makes the debate matter of fact, with an objective and target. With no plan other than to beat the war drum which will benefit large corporations more than the foreign country planned to attack or the American people.

I fear a president who believes it is OK to give Congress a few short hours to read through legislation with over 1,000 pages that takes hundreds of billions of dollars from tax-payers to bail out banks, so that they may hold the already struggling working class responsible for debts, hidden charges, and interest rates they cannot cover. Now with higher taxes.

We are being robbed and destroyed by those who are supposed to serve our best interests. We are becoming enslaved to corruption. We are being pitted against one another by others that harness our anger, to string us along like puppets. All in the name of a currency.

Our products and service are cheapening while the price for them rises. Our economy is based on swindling one another then having a good lawyer, instead of fair competition flourishing based on price, quality, or pride in the product. Both the private and public sector do everything to drain as much money as possible from those who work hard for their checks. Stealing currency, that the higher ups already stripped of having any physical value to back up.

While you find it harder to afford to live a regular life, or afford to treat yourself against a medical condition, or afford to bury a loved one, or harder to find a fulfilling job, or nice home to raise a family in, others are sitting on fortunes you cannot begin to comprehend, and are doing so on your dime, hard work, and suffering.

While your right to privacy is stripped, and increasing debt has reduced you to a shallow human being who`s only goals and decisions in life revolve around money, debates about Mexicans or Mosques are being raised, to channel our anger toward a race of people or a religion. Turning us into nationalist monsters instead of effectively informed citizens.

The joke is on you America, you have been Punk`d. This message has been brought to you by McDonald`s, now hurry up, eat it, become lethargic, and die, so the board can go to The Caribbean, and politicians can continue harmful policies because your fat ass is too lazy to pay attention, or actually want to make a change. Oh, and 25% of your paycheck is going to us, because if it doesn`t, a terrorist from a global organization with less than 300 members is more than likely going to blow YOU up on the way to Mcdonald`s. Stop being afraid of the inevitable, death. Start living and dying for a better world.

Let's All Die!

If you aren't already aware, there is speculation that the world is going to end on December 21st 2012. So save your money, you are going to miss Christmas that year.

I remember the last time the world ended, it was New Years Day, at midnight, 2000. Since that catastrophe we as a people have been able to re-build our world in a very short time. Thank God for that quick rebound.

When I wake up on December 22nd and the world hasn't ended I am not going to be happy. After two "World Endings" in a short 24 year lifespan, I am fed up. I propose the first person who perpetuates the next world ending rumor, after this one is proven to be false, is to be castrated.

Maybe not castrated, but at least sterilized.

The crash and burn mentality of this world's people is going to cause the world to crash and burn. Things are getting unnatural.

People stock piling weapons, ready to kill other people as soon as shit hits the fan. Large underground concrete apartments for "post-apocalypse living". The continuous proliferation of nuclear weapons. Without even getting into environmental issues, it seems as if we are willing the destructive end to come...and soon rather than later.

Many religious folk call onto this apocalypse, and look forward to it. Because in every holy book, the only thing that hasn't happened yet is the end, so they have been waiting over a thousand years for the Apocalypse to validate their beliefs, so I guess they are getting impatient. That's understandable.

Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill have exposed a large weakness of America, we have a difficult time recovering from disaster. Our response is slow, our people are unable to work together, and our federal government is severely flawed internally.

It would only take one nuke to throw us into complete self-destructive chaos. The panic would overtake reason, and we would become cannibals instead of working together in order to rebuild.

Anyone claiming they know when the end is coming is full of shit. Nobody will know it's arrived until the Grim Reaper smacks us in the face, that's part of the whole production. The end could come at any instant, whether it is on the individual or global level. Nukes, sting ray, car, snake, diabetes, cancer, poison ivy in the eyes, drug overdose, plane crash, heart attack, boat accident, fork-lift accident, heavy farm equipment accident, conveyor belt accident, pork chop accident, baby pool accident, fall asleep with cigarette in hand, trampled by elephants, eaten by sharks, attacked by bees and are allergic, asphyxiation, etc. Lets face it, the odds of survival are not in our favor.

Here is an open speech to our civilization:

Look, culture that is awkwardly obsessed with destruction and every thing's death. You only live once. Here's a beer, calm down, stop talking about nuclear fallout, and poison water and Satan walking around, and BIG ANGRY GOD, and people burning alive, and then in Hell eternally. Lot of fire, It sucks I know, but I don't really know how to prepare for something on that scale, so I will just worry about it when I am at that juncture.

So yeah prepare if you want, buy guns, non-perishable food items, things of that sort, no problems with that. Stay on top of the game general public, protect your families. But to the people who pray for it on Sunday, then go out and make multi-million dollar arms deals the next...what!? What are you doing?

I don't know when the end is coming, but if these bat-shit crazy, greedy, demonic, animals have their way...it is fast approaching.

I'll just do my part and not kill someone. I also will not be a stereotypical German scientist, and develop science that can destroy the planet in an instant, then sell it off to both the highest and lowest bidders. Can't forget those goddamn German Scientists, always pissing on, and pissing off nature.

The world just ended again...at least the one you were present in 20 minutes ago. Oh, it just ended again, well not that one, but a different one you were separately present in, at a different time, it's slightly different than this one.

You see? Worrying about the end of the world is pointless.

Ill Will Toward the Bill

In one week the government will come knocking on my door,
In two, the debtors will want even more.
I`ll drink away the rest of my pay,
Wrecking my liver before the debts are at bay,
Graverobbers will dig and try to invade,
They`ll find a grinning skeleton, middle finger and plague.

This is my story and though it sounds grim,
It`s the only way you can ever win,
So when they come knocking, you better make sure,
You are coughing and choking when you answer the door,
Smile and greet, with your hands dipped in lead
Cuz` the only good collector is one that is dead.

"Carrying the Torch"

United States foreign policy before WW1 defined non-interventionist belief, though we often found ourselves fighting wars at home to fend off European powers during and after our conception, whether it be France, Spain or England. (We as in people living on American soil, natives or colonists)

Many of the political beliefs in countries were shaped by the "British Empire", the blatant superpower in the world, through the strength of it`s Navy and industry.

While we formed better relations with England through the years after The Revolutionary War, other lands did not see them in such a kind light. Spain and France competed with Britain for international influence for years, Germany had the technology and financial power to be a force, but found itself disadvantaged by sharing The North Sea with the strongest naval power in the world (Britain). A growing naval force by the Germans could not go unnoticed by either France or England.

During popular imperialist thought through much of Europe for countless years, expansion was seen as vital. This way of the world later would become the foreign policy of Japan, thinking it necessary to compete militarily and globally for power in order to "protect its interests".

Before WW1 foreign powers began to form powerful pacts, as diplomacy between Russia and England grew alongside France, and German/Austrian relations also grew to neutralize relations between an expanding Yugoslavia/Russian relationship.

Serbian student kills Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, shit hits the fan.

Austria blames Serbia as a country (part of the growing Yugoslavia), though the act was carried out by a Blackhand member and college student (sounds like modern day terrorism) tensions are high, England tries to get peace talks done between the two nations.

Germany is itching for a fight, they have a growing military industry and economy, and believe England will not stay neutral, bringing them closer to Germany`s door. Russia mobilizes to its borders, ready to support Yugoslavia who is now under German threat. Germany sees this as an act of war on Russia's part, another clump hits the fan.

For some stupid military theory reason, Germans believed in order to win, they needed to invade France quickly to gain strength. First they have to get through Belgium. They end up being doing so, and France is attacked and mostly overrun by German so fast they never have a chance to get their military together.

Things already looked bad for Germany at this point, U.S. provided ammunition and products to European powers (gotta make that dollar in the Industrial Revolution times) Our official stance was neutrality and we warned of joining the war if Germany showed aggression. Germany attacked our supply ships, another dumb move.

The Ottoman Empire, is broken up and occupied by England after the war, Germany is reduced to nothing financially and militarily, Austria loses. France is restored. The first World War is complete, revolutionizing politics and warfare.

Germany finds the only way to rebuild is by restructuring military industry though the treaty states they are not to do so. European powers turn a blind eye. Now Japan, united for short time like Germany prior to WW1, begins to grow internationally through trade and expansion through imperialism, once again following tradition of taking a page from England in order to neutralize their power globally. Everyone is wanting to be numero uno, Britain is, so they decide to be un-original and use their foreign policy.

Through all kinds of interesting and frightening domestic politics too far deep in detail for me to want to get into, Hitler gains unprecedented power without a majority vote. While his brutal policies towards Jews goes years without being noticed, he also begins to build military strength, politically, German focus is on protection from Communism internally and externally.

Germany begins stating it will not longer follows stipulations in previous treaties, involving both military agreements, and land ownership agreements between countries after WW1. Germany wants to not only get its land back, but it wants to be a force again. Their economy is growing for the Germans, and so it Hitler`s support.

Japan begins to withdraw from previous treaties with nations, and revamps intense historical relations with China, joining in a pact with Germany to "defend from Communism" Russia and China are the focus.

Mussolini begins attempts to restore the Roman Empire, they lose in these attempts through economic sanctions brought by the League of Nations after invading Ethiopia. They give support to Franco in Spain alongside Germany, fueling the Spanish Civil War. Franco takes power. Italy joins the Anti-Cominterm Pact with Germany and Japan. Japan is in all out war with China at this time, furthering their military aggression.

Germany takes over Austria and without opposition by outside countries, completes a pact with Russia. Once attempting to implore these same tactics on Poland, new British leadership pushes back.

For purposes of disinterest in explaining pacts and strategies through WW2, the war happens, many international agreements come before, during, and after the war.

The imperial hopes of Germany, Italy and Japan end. Europe is destroyed economically, England can no longer finance their operations overseas as they need to focus finances on rebuilding home. Russia and America are the two countries with the largest oil reserves $$ in the world at this time. Though both suffered many casualties (Russia the highest total) neither country suffered massive internal destruction through war like countries such as France or England.

The new lines of the world would be drawn up by Allied powers and through Russian-American finances. Instead of taking the two previous wars as a lesson, Russian and U.S. mistrust begins almost immediately after WW2, and the nuclear bomb is introduced.

Russia frantically puts together funds and study in order to make a bomb, it becomes comparable to previoius naval forces in regards to military and political escalation.

So The Cold War begins, both countries realize the financial strength oil holds, and build arms threatened by one another. Communists hope to end Capitaist imperialism and vica versa through the world. The Russians and U.S. retain lands previously controlled by other nations in the Middle East, Africa, Japan, Germany, Yugoslavia, etc.

British and French Empires begins to crumble through Africa, but both focus on having influence in the former Ottoman Empire. Oil is the concern.

The Germans lost WW2 by failing to take over Russian oil fields, Japan attacked America after the U.S. cut off oil supply to Japan, The British front in the Middle East took the only supply left to Axis Powers. They ran out of gas.

Revolution through Africa ended European empires through the 50`s and 60`s, other countries in the world also changed, with funding and political influence from Russia and America, it became a game of Communism vs. Capitalism.

After Russia crumbled America has been left, occupying many lands watched over by Russia through the 80`s.

Military presence from the once non-interventionist America is now seen all over the world, taking over the politics and controlled areas of England in order to "keep out Russia" and similar policies on the Russian side throughout the Cold War.

So far no country has been able to afford serious global presence. The U.S. now has bases, missile programs, naval sites, intelligence centers all over the world. We are in the Middle East, Germany, Japan, the ex-Soviet Union, Africa, etc. It used to be "The sun never set on the British Empire".

Well I believe you can plug America into that saying now. Without total war with a superpower America is already proving we cannot finance these tactics. Through history we have seen the tactics of controlling foreign land does not work. Peace through war is not peace at all.

We are now no longer the holder of the world`s largest oil reserve. We are not as strong as we believe, unable to finance war in two comparably insignificant countries from a military perspective. Russia is constantly proving more oil field, building their finances through the resurgence of industrial strength and production.

Relations between China and Russia grow paralell to growing relations between Japan and America, all four countries have history of tension. All four have land disputes with one another, and have both different economic and political beliefs.

The U.S. and Russia have different military and political ties to countries opposite of one another in the event of war, much like in the past world wars. After the waves of globalization, America does not have the industrial strength it did in the past, most of our production is military based after the completion of "the war to end all wars".

It would crumble us at this point economically to live in a post-war community. We are in debt from our outstretched military, hunks of aid given to foreign countries to allow us to use their land and resources, and foreign wars.

The money does not add up, we only survived the economic problems from WW2 because of our status as the number 1 provider of oil and strong industry, now the oil is in the Middle East, and our industry has been exported to free trade zones so the rich can cut back on payroll, paying U.S. taxes, and following national environmental protection laws. This is a serious problem if someone were to test our strength.

We at this point are a mass of muscle tissue, stretched over the world, constantly flexing in order to keep possible enemies at bay. While our people are concerned with domestic politics they vote on, international politics ran without democratic processes are what are and will affect our livlihood and future.

These are day to day treaties, international business plans, military contracts, and policies that the people of America have no control over. These are the decisions that may affect if we are hit with nuclear weapons, or drug into another world war. These are trade meetings that effectively ship off jobs and money to foreign markets and rich Americans who do not bring the money back to trickle down.

These are the issues of today, these are the issues that have in the past caused war and will in the future.

We trust these decisions to the legislative and executive branches, who are influenced openly and often by large companies, by dollars they receive personally to continue their campaigns and power. Modern day payoffs that do not involve or benefit the people of America. These are details that should be open to the public and covered by the media constantly so voters may make informed decisions. These stories often go ignored. The average American is too busy working to have time to dig up finanical ties between politicians and companies, it is the responsibility of the media.

But Lindsay Lohan is a lesbian, Angelina Jolie is adopting kids, Sarah Palin`s daughter was pregnant out of wedlock, Joran Vandersloot has killed two people, Lawrence Taylor had sex with an underage prostitute. This is what you are forced to see day in and day out. Mistrusting neighbors because one might be a killer or on drugs or a whore.

Todays big stories on CNN "Governor calls most illegals drug mules" Is this racist?

"Senator Robert Byrd dies"

"Comedian slams Obama blunder"

Let me scroll down to the bottom of the page in the smallest square of news it is marked "international".

Oh, North Korea is claiming we brought heavy weapons into a demilitarized zone this weekend, they have refused to give up their nuclear program recently (again) and earlier this year sank a South Korean warship.

They have close ties to China, who has failed over and over to put sanctions or real pressure on the country for anything, from shooting missiles over Japan as a show of strength to building nukes.

Luckily Russian and Chinese relations build, as the two actually practiced military invasion tactics not long ago...why would they want to practice joint military invasion tactics? Why did nobody ask?

Oh Turkey, the largest military power in the Middle East outside of Israel has closed airspace to the country after violent raids by the Israeli military on humanitarian ships to Gaza. Israel has said they plan on continuing to fly as they always have. Thats exactly what the Middle East needs, further escalation. But hey, Joe Biden called an ice cream guy an "asshole" today, and that story is getting more press.

Maybe the guy was an asshole.

The world is an interesting and scary place, we are repeating history in regards to military pacts, the controlling of foreign land, and the contant fight for retaining the oil veins of the world.

Recent history has shown us the outcomes of these policies in less than a century, but still nothing changes. Our government and media let policy and events go by unnoticed by the general public. Either this stems from fear of us becoming educated and wanting to do something about it, or fear American people cannot comprehend these issues. Either way, you are the one disadvantaged.

Nobody can really know for sure where the events of today will take us tomorrow, but they say "History repeats itself" and if History has shown anything it is this truth. I see writing on the wall and warning signs of what may come in this generation or the next based on our foreign policy and the actions of others around the world to rival it.