The War

Evil tyrants, not war, are the real source of atrocities…. and war is the only way to stop them. When something is important enough, or you want something enough, you will fight for it.


War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The person that thinks nothing is worth war, that nothing is worth fighting for, is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the efforts of better men than himself.

When you think of the Iraqi conflict, you either believe that Bush is just "crazy", or that we went there for legitimate purposes to free Iraqi people, or that we went there to protect ourselves from being attacked.

The problem with any of these points of views is that none of them adequately coincide with any event.

What I mean by that is that if you believe we went there to free Iraqis, there is no logical reason why we went there when we did. Iraqis have been suffering for years. When are we going to invade Mexico? The corruption in Mexico is disgraceful and that government needs to be toppled.

If you believe we went into Iraq to protect ourselves, there is no logical reason why we would have targeted Iraq because there are no obvious ties between Iraq and terrorism.

If you believe we went there because Bush is a sadistic loon, well, that also would have been consistent before 9/11, so there is no reason why the war would have begun in 2003.

Although there may be other reasons why you support or oppose the war in Iraq, I have yet to encounter anyone in either view that provided me with a premise behind why it happened when it happened.

But Consider this:

In November, 2000, Iraq began selling its oil in Euros, becoming the first OPEC country to abandon its ties to the US dollar.

What significance does this hold?

In simple economics, we understand that a country's dollar value is determined by the level of demand that exists for that currency. For example... if a country prints too many dollar bills and opens them up to the public via grants, higher interest rates, or by feeding the economy by hiring local companies, it floods the market with more of its currency. As with anything in business, the more supply there is, the less demand there is, hence the value of the dollar goes down.

As the value of the dollar goes down, the governmental body that controls a majority of the money, the interest rates, and the currency loses power, because the value of that money becomes less and less.

Well, on January 1st, 1999, 11 European countries joined together to form a joint currency called the EURO. Britain and Norway were two that were absent from this union of currency, and still trade using their own currencies.

These 11 countries were: AUSTRIA BELGIUM FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY GREECE IRELAND ITALY LUXEMBOURG NETHERLANDS PORTUGAL SPAIN .

The EURO is valued at approximately $1.30 US as of today.

Back to oil.

Right now Saudi Arabia and Iraq are two of the largest oil producers on the planet. Prior to the 2000 change to Euros by Iraq, most of the oil on the planet was purchased in US dollars, as 2/3 rds of the commonly traded currency in the world is US dollars. This is called a "Reserve Currency".

It is widely known and accepted that the US has struck a deal with the Saudis which provides them with US support in the Middle East, in exchange for their continued support of the US dollar by selling their oil in only US dollars. Iraq also promoted the value of the US dollar by selling their oil in that currency, but decided to sell their oil in only Euros in 2000.

What did that mean for the US dollar?

Well, what that means if you've been following me this far is that the demand for the US dollar would drop internationally, as many countries that obtained oil from Iraq would no longer convert their currency to US currency to obtain it. Instead, they would boost the demand for Euros by purchasing Euros.

This would benefit all the European countries utilizing the EURO, and affect the US dollar in a negative way. This is why it was countries like France, Germany and Russia that pressured Saddam Hussein into changing Iraq's trade currency.

Back to November 2000. So Iraq becomes the first large oil supplier in the world to begin trading in the EURO versus the US dollar. This, in itself, did not dramatically affect the value of the EURO or the US dollar. However, almost immediately following it other oil producing countries began toying with the possibility of following suit. Oil producing countries such as Iran, Libya, Venezuela, Russia, Indonesia, and Malaysia all began trading oil in Euros, thereby pushing it to become the world's second "Reserve Currency".

The repercussions of such a domino effect would effectively reduce the value of the US dollar by 20 to 40 percent v. the EURO, likely making the EURO at least equal to the dollar as a "Reserve Currency".

Following 9/11 and the incomplete invasion of Afghanistan, the US quickly proceeded to invade Iraq, the only OPEC country in the world to defy the US dollar. Their coalition of forces included Britain and Norway, two of the main European countries that did not partake in joining with the EURO. Of the 11 countries that were trading using the EURO, only Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands took part.

On the other side, France, Germany, Russia and China opposed the war, amongst others. France and Germany mainly because their currency was being threatened, and China and Russia because they also converted a substantial portion of their dollar reserves to Euros.

The US gained a few things by invading and occupying Iraq. Firstly, they sent a message to any OPEC countries that attempted to switch to the EURO, thereby devaluating the US dollar. Secondly, they now controlled the world's second largest oil supply. Thirdly, they almost immediately began trading in, yes you guessed it, US dollars, thereby maintaining its demand. Fourthly, they now have a military presence in the center of the Middle East. Fifthly, they struck a blow against the EURO, the main competitor to the US dollar.

It is theorized that if the Iraq war did not take place, and more oil producing countries switched to the EURO, the US dollar would crash, thereby causing a literal catastrophe in the US economy. Our world as we know it would have come crashing down.

This entire underlying purpose to the war in Iraq is not televised, nor is it well known amongst pro-war or anti-war enthusiasts.

It is important to note that almost every country that had a strong interest in boosting the EURO opposed the war, and every country that had a strong interest in preserving the US dollar supported the war.

Also important is the fact that the US abandoned the invasion of Afghanistan prematurely to focus on Iraq, certifying that Afghanistan was the foot in the door, but not the true purpose.

Interestingly enough, it is agreed upon by all parties involved that a "War on Terrorism" will never truly be finished, and that it is a very indefinite and lengthy process, as stated by the president himself. This does adequately permit the US government to protect the US dollar wherever it may be threatened, under the guise of terrorism for legitimacy and public support.

But the value of our Dollar and the strength of our economy is something that has to be protected. It is worth fighting for and It is the foundation of all we have and enjoy each day.


Wishing you the best ...Ric

Iced Tea

Being born and raised in Texas, I am as familiar with drinking iced tea as my friend Joe is with ugly women. He says those ugly ones need love too.

While I suppose that most Americans have a glass of iced tea from time to time during the summer, we Texans couldn't survive without the brew on a daily basis 12 months of the year. We drink it whenever and wherever food is served, morning, noon, and night, and we drink it anytime just to be drinking it. We drink it at casual cookouts and formal dinners. And we drink as much of it in fancy restaurants as we do at barbecue joints. I sometimes drink it for breakfast. You will almost always be able to find iced tea in my house, morning, noon or night. Visit my house and don’t be surprised to hear me say, "Hey, how 'bout a glass of ice' tea?"

Iced tea is the sacred beverage of Texans and has been ever since ice became readily available some years ago.


The varieties are endless.

Plain old "ice' tea." But there's also sugar tea (highly sweetened), mint tea (with bruised fresh mint leaves), lemon tea, and sun tea (a gallon container of cold water and tea placed in the hot sun for three or four hours to develop ultimate flavor). I also like a squeeze of lemon or lime in my iced tea, but some wouldn't dream of destroying the flavor of their everyday brew with sugar or lemon or anything else.


So ingrained has iced tea become in our lives here in Texas, we too enjoy some satisfying and even legendary alcoholic libations based all around iced tea. Anyone for some Jack Daniel’s whiskey tea? How about a Long Island Iced Tea? Ever had tea punch?


We Texans love our iced tea. We are not fanatics about it, mainly because we pretty much take for granted being able to get a good glass of iced tea, properly served, 365 days at year at most any restaurant. And yes, we like it year round, not just when the summer days are searing. Iced tea – What a fabulous beverage! Your summer will go a lot better if you keep your place stocked with that delicious iced tea!


Wishing you the best. Ric

Mothers Day

The young mother set her foot on the path of life.
"Is this the long way?" she asked. And the guide said: "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning." But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."
Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come."
And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed and when they reached the top, they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you." And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I have given them strength."
And with the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the Mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God." And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage.
And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them."
And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence." Your Mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop. She's the place you came from, your first home; and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you...Not time, not space...not even death!