[Charles] Allen, of the Homeland Security Department, said there was currently a ”low probability” of cooperation between terrorists and drug organizations, but the ”fertile ground” of Latin America — where government corruption is common and institutions often weak — means that the possibility deserves renewed U.S. attention.

”It would be an unprecedented act. But we cannot rule it out,” he said.

“We got problems here, Boss: the public just isn’t buying our line about a Hezbollah-AQ tie-in — it’s that whole Shia-Sunni thing, you know, that’s making it a hard sell; those guys hate each other at least as much as they hate us. And anyway, they’re pretty much stuck over there… makes it hard to work the ol’ Fear Up strategy on the home crowd, know whatta mean?”

“Yes, you’re right. What we need here is a bogeyman with some local reach. A really scary bad guy is not one halfway around the world, but the one that lives in your own closet, under your own kids’ bed… Wait, I’m getting a flash here… what if… what if we say there’s some intel which points to the possibility of some links between ragheads and dopeheads?!”

“Yeah, I’m seeing it: The Global Drug War On Terror. It’s got everything, Boss: the need for absolute secrecy, the unprovability, the unstoppability, the backyard angle… the money! Hey, Boss, you’re a freakin’ genius, man !”

“Nah, just a underpaid public servant, doin’ his job. Get a team on this, and start putting together a presser to spring it on them, ASAP. We got an election coming up, y’know whatta mean?”

I know that John Edwards is a dirty word now but he had so many great ideas…..

Yeah, the ideas and their intent are still strong. He wasn’t the kind of leader on foreign relations that most Americans are used to. He resembled McGovern in that way. But, there’s a lot of good intent that if pulling the right cart can go a long way.

… How do we connect with the people…..

A clear vision for world relations and an obvious good will towards everyone and the political philosophy which we usually espouse, but don’t always use, of offering help and using our military only to help them restrain destructive impulses. It isn’t easy to stick to peaceful political means of solving problems. Other known ways seem quicker and more sure. Explaining and creating better ways requires a very very good foreign service and Peace Corps.

The Monroe Doctrine….. were we build roads, water systems, help people rebuild after WWII….. but somewhere along the line we forgot being an agent of good and started trying to control what happens in other countries…….

Yep. Change your interest from making the world a better place to making your wallet fatter and a lot of your behavior towards the world will change.

And why did the American government take down the representative elected leader of Iran?
OIL…

How did the boarders of the middle east get decided?
OIL

I said just above that if you want to fatten your wallet you behave differently. The same can be said if you are addicted to poppies, oil or anything else out in the world. America isn’t as strong in some ways now as it was. We have to start rebuilding from the ideas of people, rebuilding the American Dream and our economy and our educational system and the way we meet and relate to the world.

The void was any kind of stable government with popular legitimacy that took care of its citizens.

The question since then has been whether the world will allow and whether the local forces can go beyond their basic military security to some kind of lasting peaceful political relations with their neighbors.

It’s not so easy for any government or governments to rise to that challenge.

And they will get their pensions.

http://emptywheel.firedoglake……s-dealers/