For the last  Woodstock Roundtable radio program of the year(*1) one of my featured guests was Gerald Celente of the Trends Research Institute.  He pointed out that the United States, without any explicit explanation up front, went to the aid of the Saudi Government by exploding bombs against a Yemenese faction.  Just now making the news.  What's the back story? 

The claims are that Al Qaeda is involved, but Mr. Celente is convinced (and he digs behind the inernational new scene every day) it's a cover up for continual U.S. muscle being exerted to keep the Saudi royalty, hated by a majority of its people and the people in the region, in power.  The U.S. government is determined to do anything necessary to maintain its addiction to oil.

Problem is a lot of innocent Yemenese were killed which actually strengthens Al Qaeda's position in Muslim countries by infuriating families and influential local officials outraged at the U.S. willingness to kill innocent people in the name of oil.

When I was growing up, it was the spector of communism that was used to legitimize American miliatary expansion.  Then it was the bogus "Domino Theory" in East Asia used to legitimize
American military destruction in Viet Nam and Cambodia.  Now it's Al Qaeda.

Sure the Soviet government was a threat until its demise.  Sure Al Qaeda's murderous plots need to be addressed.  But does that require hundreds of thousands U.S. soldiers around the world and the continuous killing of innocent people?

I was thrilled when Barack Obama was elected President.  I still think the world is better off with him in the White House over George Bush or John McCain.  But virtually a year after he took office, it's unfortunately clear that Barack Obama has no interest in reining in what Dwight Eisenhower labeled the "Military/Industrial Complex."  This will most likely guarantee an increase in terrorist activities.