Nothing important ever happens for just one reason. It is impossible to prove arguments like Mr. Heard's are wrong. But although the U.S. does compete with Europe economically, I find it incredible that people are worried about something like the Euro eclipsing the Dollar as a trading currency or measure of value. Strong Dollars have their problems, like they tend to create an unfavorable balance of trade.

I had not heard about active intervention by the U.S. in Venezuela. It would be interesting to have some concrete facts, but I assume Heard has something to back all that up. But reprehensible as such meddling is; it does not prove anything in particular. The U.S. has perfectly good reasons to dislike the Chavez government, and a Republican government is particularly likely to dislike it. Basically Heard's theory is just too vulgar-Marxist, like the guys I knew back in the 1960's who were always trying to figure out what resources in Vietnam the Capitalists were conspiring to control. So far as I know, it hasn't got that much in the way of resources.

Don, I think you are right in saying that apoctalyptic religion gives Bush much of his crazy edge. But I also think there are other reasons, like (1) a politician's desire to appeal to the jingo vote and stay in power, especially when the policies he supports would otherwise be unpopular; (2) the economic intrests of narrow but influential groups; which together produce; (3) the tendency of nations to expand when they have the power to do it. "Power tends to corrupt..."