As Americans have carried the lion’s share of the war against the global terrorists, we seem to have come under assault from all directions: A former US senator and vice-president leads a world-wide publicity stunt to destroy our economy backed by millionaire Hollywood singers, dancers, and pretenders. He is given an Oscar and a Nobel Peace Prize along with an an opulent lifestyle for his prevaricating power-point presentation; Our trade policies have fueled an ever threatening Asian giant with tens of billions of dollars, which they are using to transform themselves into a military superpower; Our once solid dollar is losing value against almost every other currency in the world; A nuclear North Korea seems intent on exporting that technology to nations that back global terrorists; Iran is openly defiant about not only developing their nuclear capabilities, but also about continuing to promise to “wipe Israel off the map” as soon as they can; And even our allies in OPEC cooperate with the malevolent voices that call for greater efforts to pump up crude oil prices, even though they have risen over 94% in the last year, nearly 380% in the last five.
OPEC does not completely control the price of oil. They influence part of the supply, but academics will tell you that the total supply and demand for oil drive the price. Other countries also produce oil, thus affecting the supply. The environmentalist movement in the United States, and the members of Congress that agree with it, have prevented drilling for the known American reserves, which would have helped to keep down prices by increasing supply.
Meanwhile, the oil-thirsty, rapidly growing economy of China and other nations help to prop up prices by increasing demand.At least the Chinese are doing what they can to increase oil supplies. Among other things, they are drilling between Cuba and Florida. A place where our government’s environmental policies prohibits US companies from drilling.
The US has been pursuing other ways to affect supplies. From investing in the development of various emerging technologies to converting corn into biofuels. All this has generated some unintended consequences for everyone.
Food supplies have dwindled, which has pushed the price up. The record harsh winters of the last couple of years, despite Hollywood’s global warming, along with the biofuel movement have reduced the world’s food supply. Additionally, the parasitic price of oil has driven up the costs to produce food and to deliver it to where it needs to go. Food prices are soaring, and the world can’t do without food.
Unlike the oil-crop of OPEC nations, food-crops require more than simply harvesting it and sending it to processing. Farmers work their magic the world over, but especially in America.
American farmers have some advantages. They are blessed with great crop lands and an abundant supply of fresh water, something lacking in most countries–especially OPEC nations. If food-exporting nations wanted to extract a payback for the inflated oil prices it wouldn’t take long to recoup the looting of past years. Even without an organized effort, that may happen anyway.
If oil exporters continue their artificial pumping up of oil prices, it will be met with market-driven price increases in food products. When their cost of food imports exceed their return on oil exports, it will be too late for them to make smart corrections in oil production to save themselves.
When their economies finally collapse, so will the price-bubble of oil. It will take a couple of growing seasons after that for food prices to drop accordingly, but they will just have to be patient and tighten their belts, while the food-producing nations of the world save them again. First from a life of goat herding, then from their home-grown global terrorists, and then finally from starvation.
Our problem with China’s growing militarism may also be solved with rising food prices. Over the last several years the Chinese standard of living has increased, but it still lags behind what we enjoy in America. The average American spends 10% or less of their income on food, but in China it is different–it is nearly 50%.
America produces much more food than it consumes. If our supplies dwindled, we’ll take it out of our exports, but we’ll still have food. And if food-prices double, Americans will just spend less on Hollywood movies and maybe eat at home more often. But we still eat and many of us will still be fat. But if food-prices double for the Chinese…
The Chinese government will be forced to curtail their massive offensive weapons build-up and then to subsidize food for their people. Those billions of dollars they’ve collected in trade imbalances with America and the rest of the world will be their solution to impending starvation and unrest. When that happens, the Chinese will be the first to wish the US dollar was worth more.
The Chinese people are smart and hard-working. They are aware of the world around them–they have more internet users than we have in America. They will not sheepishly permit themselves to starve as the people of North Korea have. They know a starving people do not a great nation make. And they want to be great.
While this may not be exactly “beating swords into plowshares” as prophesied in Isaiah 2:2-4, it might be an interesting start to a better state of peace.
In the long run it all boils down to the food standard.
It just makes sense.
Great idea…
The Food Standard « It Just Makes Sense is a wonderful idea. Implementation might be challenging, but there’s genius in your concept.
The Lost Dragoneer (The Chronicles of Susah, Book 2) A lot of us were waiting for this, thought I’d post it here in case you hadn’t seen it yet.
The setting alone sets this story apart as a radically original and ambitious project: the land of Noah and his fabled Ark. Sutherland builds a world that is surprisingly familiar in some ways, but with wondrous and bold technological, cultural, and spiritual interpolations woven in. Yes, he dares introduce dragons into the hallowed shadow of the Ark, but he doesn’t stop there at all. Those familiar with the more doctrinally problematic allusions of Genesis 6 will find great satisfaction with this author’s rendering of the Nephilim, I predict.
Susah, a daughter of Noah, must negotiate her way through the challenges every young woman must face, but she does not yet know how high the stakes are. As if coming of age were not enough of a challenge, she chooses to do so while in pursuit of a career in a male-dominated military special ops analogue: the Dragoneer corps. So you see how full Sutherland’s hands are with this story, and you really should find out how well he sorts it all out.
“The Dragoneers” stands as a pioneer in its genre–whatever that is, exactly–and includes a surprisingly rich spiritual subtext with top rate characters and plot.
Looking forward to new books as the become available! I’m a lover of Dragons when they behave themselves and are not depicted as demons or evil beings! Thanks
This book was recommended to me by a friend at work. I am very glad that she made the recommendation. The book grabbed me from the start and kept me wanting to read more. The characters are all well developed as is the story. This was an interesting twist on what happened before the great flood. I thought it was a wonderful blend of fantasy and biblical perspective. I am looking forward to reading book 2 in the series!
I was a little worried when first reading this book as it’s based around biblical characters, however, they take only a small role.
This is perfect for people who like fantasy books in general. I previously read the Inheritance Cycle and Harry Potter. This is as good as them and I really can’t wait for the next book. I bought this at the end of Christmas Day and finished it around 1 o’clock in the morning of the 27th. I just couldn’t put it down!!
Awesome book, fantastic story, could not put it down! Really enjoyed it. A great blend of fantasy, syfi…good vs. evil. Can’t wait until the next installment is out…looking forward to it!
Side note:
Hope to see this book and the subsequent installments available through additional venues. I wanted to read this and since I don’t have a Kindle (I have the Nook), my wife got the book on her Kindle.
Loving all things dragon, I was quite happy to get this book. It delivers. There’s plenty of good action, characters you can easily envison and the author handles his biblical theme very nicely. The bad guys are bad enough, the good guys not too smarmy.I am looking forward to the next installment!!!
The Dragoneer is truly an epic page turner of the 21st century. Based on the teachings of Christ mixed with Narnia like adventure, you will never regret reading it. Charles Sutherland makes a perfect medley of mythology and tech, attracting readers like a light to a moth. The Dragoneer is good enough even to rival the works of Christopher Paolini and Eoin Colfer! Wish that other readers would have the same opinion as me and support Charles in his fantastic works of literature.
Even the beginning of this book has surprises. I knew before I began it, that it was loosely based on Genesis and set in Antediluvian times. I did not know that Sutherland has created a world of wonder and great accomplishments in technology so that the long ago world is quite similar to ours. Yes, I was surprised to find innovative ways of transportation, shopping similar to ours today and even the same sins we see in today’s world. Though that last shouldn’t have surprised me I suppose. After all, Satan is an ancient creature and his servants are ever present.
Sutherland’s conception of the days of Noah boggle the mind and the monsters found within it are loathesome. The Creator God shines above all else especially in the bravery of a young woman, Susah, the daughter of … no, I will not spoil that for you because I recommend that you read this book.
Like the MASTER, feeding the 5000 with a few pita breads and some sardines, Sutherland has taken a few scraps of information [what the Bible gives about the world before the Flood of Noah] and has multiplied those tidbits into a miraculous world, filled with dragons, giants, physical demons, and a host of other dangers. And it is a world populated by a very few who brave souls who are willing to stand against the too prevalent evil.
WARNING: This fast-paced story is one of those actioners that is impossible to put down once you are swept into and captured by its fantastic world. The characters are so believable, that you feel you are right there with them in their joys and struggles; urging them on to overcome their flaws, wanting to help them in the conflicts thrust upon them; rejoicing in the triumphs of the good and cringing at the plotting and heartlessness of the wicked.
I am SO going to read the next volume in this series! Author: PLEASE HURRY!
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The Food Standard « It Just Makes Sense…