Ann Berg

As the Dubai Ports World plan continues to simmer, most congressional leaders twittering about security have ignored the potential monetary consequences of nixing the deal. By telling DP World, a United Arab Emirates corporation with willing investment dollars, to “go stuff it,” we can stop worrying about the so-called threat to dollar hegemony posed by … Continue reading “The Golden Caliphate”

If you’re waiting for the Iranian oil bourse (IOB) – the proposed euro-based petroleum futures exchange in Tehran – to overthrow the global dollar-based economy, don’t hold your breath. Establishing a futures-trading mechanism to compete with the powerhouses of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) for the oil trade is … Continue reading “Is the IOB DOA?”

Chastising Russia over its gas dispute with the Ukraine, Condoleezza Rice recently stated that Russia must "play by the rules." Certainly not economic rules – these would have justified Russia abolishing its hefty subsidy altogether on Ukrainian gas shipments and allowed the $50 Ukrainian price (per 1,000 cubic meters) to rise to the $240 European … Continue reading “Double-Edged Peace Pipes”

As someone who promised to bring CEO know-how to the presidency, George Bush has topped all expectations. No dabbler, immediately after 9/11, he targeted two candidates for hostile takeovers. One, a backwater competitor that struck a blow to the enterprise, drew a swift neutralizing response. The other, an underperforming asset with extensive management deficiencies beckoned … Continue reading “The CEO President”

Anyone following Italian newspapers lately has discovered new meaning in the words “shock and awe.” In an article in La Repubblica, an unnamed SISMI (Italian secret service) agent affirms the prewar meeting in Rome among high level U.S./Italian officials and mysterious Iranians and recounts SISMI’s spadework in Iraq four months prior to the war’s official … Continue reading “Silvio Says Arrivederci“

President Bush has shown a remarkable persistence in defending his ongoing Iraq mission. "Our troops know that they’re fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere to protect their fellow Americans from a savage enemy. They know that if we do not confront these evil men abroad, we will have to face them one day in our … Continue reading “Trapped in His Own Roach Motel”