Dear TRTL,

Thanks for the apology. It's appreciated - and I
do admit that I am biased as far as George W. is
concerned.

As far as who are the most powerful organisations
in the world? I remember reading John Pilgers
book, "The New Rulers of the World," a few years ago -
and finding it fascinating. Pilger presented arguments
that,"economic globalisation is but the latest phase of
colonial domination of the week by the powerful..."

He argued that, "Globalisation is being moulded by
such powerful International forces like, 'World Trade
Organisation,' 'The World Bank,' and the 'International
Monetary Fund.'"

I believe that oil companies in the US have great control
over the Government, a point made by Stone in his movie,
'W.'

Anyway I came across the following website which may also
be of some interest:

http://www.johnpilger.com/page.asp?partid=300
"The State is more powerful than ever; the view
that big business alone shapes the new world order
is wrong."
9 July 2001.

It presents another perspective.

Tough issues to grapple with TRTL.

This whole debate is really about power and who wields it. On the one hand, it might be simplistic to argue an international conspiracy or an illuminati that controls world affairs, but this may in fact be the case at both a macro and micro level at times. Some argue it was the interests of big armaments business that pushed the invasion of Iraq.

There are certainly power-factors at play that may change from time to time based on shifts in economic power or economic thinking/ideology or through war/natural disasters. There certainly seems to be swings in ideology and surges in the religious intrusion in politics both in the Christian and Islamic world. I suspect these movements become stronger when there is a perceived enemy at the gates.

I agree with Sancho's comments although I don't personally think 9/11 was a US conspiracy but history has revealed other self-interested manipulations on the part of governments, so maybe I will be proved wrong.

I am not savvy enough to work out what influences or factors are at play that lead to an emphasis of either RW or LW ideology in relation to power. We know that John Howard's government was very much influenced by the NSW Right, but why did this happen and were there larger global factors at play? What influences induced economic rationalism, increase in free markets and a move away from some of the principles of a social democracy? I don't know the answer to that.

For me, the extremes of anything are always of concern and either RW or LW and both work against harmonious and just societies.

The way I see it, "Power" is an amorphorous thing at best, it waxes and wains, and shifts constantly. Some of the Oligarchs that run most things in "Western" society, the big companies and corporations, Banks, Gov' etc, have "power" in certain areas at certain times, often even, but this can change at any time, a populist movement, a war, bad weather, anything can re-write the political landscape. Of course those at the top talk to each other, support each other, but I really don't believe that in this day and age that any one group could retain true "power" for any length of time, let's face it, they're notorious for self-serving and untrustworthiness, one or other would soon see advantage in selling out. Try looking at it as a giant swimming-pool full of ping-pong balls, if enough people operate together, or one has a big enough paddle, some influence can be exerted, but the pool will always be a swirl of changes, and one never can tell which particular butterfly's wing is going to cause the storm, thank god!
Long live us butterflys, lol

Obama is either a part of the cabal or a witless pawn.
Democracy has long gone from this world, most nations have 2 main parties that are for all intents and purposes the same (can you name 5 policys IMPLEMENTD by the ALP that differs from any IMPLEMENTED policy of the LIBERALS?)
candidates are preselected by faceless factions ( the exception being unwinnable seats where the "people" are given their (worthless) choice to placate them )genuine minor parties/independants have no hope to cause a real difference with the electrol system from funding to preferences designed for the big 2 the few independants are merly window dressing to show that we have a working democracy.
cival servants have mort power than cabinet members who have more power than backbenchers who have more power the opposition......