Fine, Ebbie. ;-) I'm not in the least troubled by you calling what I have "a gut feeling". Yup, that's exactly what it is. And like you said, it doesn't mean squat...and here is the hilarious counterpoint to that: neither does anything anyone else here have to say here mean squat!!!! ;-D But let's all enjoying sounding off, eh? I mean, hey, it gives us that momentary sense of satisfaction and righteous assertion, right?

You don't need any "illuminati" behind what's happening. All you need is a great power intent on securing and enlarging its supposed place in the world. The USA, since 1945, has occupied the heady position of #1 power in the world, a position the British Empire held from 1815 until the onset of WWII. Like the British once did, the USA now dominates events in the world through having the largest navy, the most extensive overseas military bases, the deadliest weapons, etc...

When a country is in that position, it's playing the big imperial game, that's all. And the game requires a lot of military expenditure, some nasty little wars here and there (where the wretched peasants resist) and a constant flow of subtle and not-so-subtle propaganda to convince the great power's public that its octopus-like grip on the world and its violent policies are driven by idealism, altruism, a love of liberty, the rights of man...bla, bla, bla, etc...

When in fact they are driven by nothing but sheer pragmatism.

Electing a president is a huge mass media selling operation. It must be done in a way to restore public confidence when the public is feeling troubled. In times of uncertainty and economic woe, there must be a presidential candidate brought forward who promises "real change" and who seems like he (or she) will genuinely change things. Obama was that candidate to the epitome, and his campaign was brilliantly orchestrated to arouse the highest hopes in people. I was very impressed...though not entirely convinced. I liked the man but I wasn't so sure I liked his policy positions, specially in regard to Afghanistan. Whatever. He seemed slightly right of center to me when it came to actual policy. Standard fare, in other words, despite the vague outer appearances of radical progressiveness.

Anyway, the huge pragmatic geopolitical interests that stand behind electing Obama...or anyone else to the presidency...do not care about you or me or the rights of man. They care about playing the great imperial game and winning. Period. I think they will usher in Hillary after Obama and engender massive enthusiasm for "the first female president" and that sense of "change" will excite people once again...and everyone's hopes will again be raised very high. And the Great Game will continue. And Third World people will get blown up real good.

Hillary may indeed be very capable. I think she is. And I think she works very hard, yes. And she's smart and tough. I have no personal objections to Hillary. (shrug) She isn't the problem. The problem is the great imperial order that will place her in the White House and will keep doing the same damn stuff it has always done, regardless of Hillary Clinton. And she'll work with them, naturally...one: because she has to...two: because she would anyway.

And if for some reason Hillary doesn't prove electable...well, they'll put someone else in the White House, whoever is most marketable at the time, but they will still call the shots.

And who is "they"? Well, nothing all that mysterious. It's simply the major corporate, banking, and military/defence interests who have been the premier power in the world since 1945 and who wish to continue holding (and enlarging) their position. You don't need "illuminati" for that. You just need naked self-interest on the part of the most powerful 1% of the population, same as you did 500 or 1,000 years ago, long before the USA existed. It's sheer momentum. You cannot stop a billion-ton "ship of state" from remorselessly plowing on along the path it has long been set upon.

Will the people at the top infight among themselves? Sure! They always have. Some will win and some will lose. But the Great Game will go on.

One day I think that China will become the number 1 Great Game player and the USA will lose top spot. But how soon that happens, I couldn't say. They won't be any nicer than the present lot of imperialists are. They might be worse. Hard to say.

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Gosh! I enjoyed typing all that. It gave my mind something to chew on and filled up a little piece of my empty day.

And you know what? It doesn't mean squat to the future of humanity. Just a bunch of bla-bla. But it was fun.

And now it's YOUR turn to do the same..... ;-) Enjoy.