Category Archives: The Middle East

The Four Horsemen

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In the skeptical Western World, Biblical prophecies are treated with scorn – the territory of born again creationists, and overwrought screenwriters short of new ideas.

No such skepticism or irony exists in The Middle East. The People of The Book (Jews, Christians and Muslims) believe that The Scriptures are true – and there will be a day of reckoning. There will be an Apocalypse.

And this idea is gaining traction in The West because of the horrific events coming out from The Middle East.

At the moment I seem to be spending my time promoting other peoples’ work – but I have ulterior motives.

Last week I promoted Dan Smith’s STATE OF THE MIDDLE EAST ATLAS. But that was because it forms an excellent background to my book THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind”. He provides the facts and figures. I provide the stories of the shattering effects of the conflict between Oil, God and Gold (where Oil is the Arabs, God is the USA, and Gold is the Jews) on the lives of ordinary people trying to survive in extra-ordinary times.

Now I have found a documentary film THE FOUR HORSEMEN, that is an excellent background to new book I am writing, GULF II “The Beginning of Sorrows”. My book is based on the biblical reference:

“Ye will hear of wars – and rumours of wars: see that ye not be troubled for all these things must come to pass – but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in divers places.

             All these are the Beginning of Sorrows”

THE FOUR HORSEMEN film (available free on YOU TUBE) posits that the first Horseman of the Apocalypse has already appeared. He is on a White Horse carrying a bow and is generally seen as the Conquerer – and the thesis of this film is that he represents the modern banks who have taken over the world, and are beyond the control of governments (Too Big to Fail?). And this is in line with my own narrative for GULF II.

Money has now replaced oil as the most valuable commodity traded in the World. And to quote The Bible again:

“The love of money is the root of all evil.”

In a very human way my new book explores the effects of 9/11, Afghanistan, and Iraq have had on the lives of normal people, and ends with the GFC of 2008.

If you want insights into the Middle East and its harsh and barbaric societies, after WWII, from the perspective of weird and wonderful expatriate oilfield trash, characters washed up there in the oil patch from 1960 to 2001, preview my book THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind” at:

www.amazon.com

and download it if you have a Kindle.

Or if you prefer a real book you can order the paperback edition with free delivery worldwide from:

www.thebookdepository.co.uk

Using the ISBN number is 978-1908147097

or direct from my publisher

www.feedaread.com

Shame on you Barack Obama

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The “I am a Jew” speech by Barack Obama, supposedly the most powerful man on Earth, was shameless pandering to the powerful and very effective Jewish lobby. By bending his knee to them he was ensuring the flow of millions of dollars into the Democratic war chest to try and ensure that Hilary Clinton would be the next President, and that she would also give unconditional support to Israel.

Protection racketeering is alive and well and living in The White House.

As I have mentioned before in this blog the Jewish population of CORO survived 25 years under the protection of the Venezuelan state and federal governments by paying a “Special Tax”. But in the end they were driven out by the local population rioting because of the domination of the Jews in the town’s commercial life.

Right now Israel carries out its brutal and repressive tactics against the Palestinians under the protection of the USA. What happens when US influence diminishes – or is distracted by the growing threats of China and Russia (not forgetting Al Qu’eda and ISIS, and Afghanistan etc.)?

My opposition to Israel was based on anecdotal evidence gained during my 40 years in The Arabian/Persian Gulf. I did not realize how complete the Israeli subjugation of the Palestinians is.

But recently I found a wonderful book, THE STATE OF THE MIDDLE EAST, “An Atlas of Conflict & Resolution” that uses hard fact and maps to show how the whole region has evolved since the decline of The Ottoman Empire. It identifies the three most important factors as OIL, ISRAEL, and AMERICAN INTERVENTION. And if you look at the section and maps on Israel you can see that they have no intention of allowing a Palestinian State.

They already occupy 78% of the land that was once Palestine, and control more than half of the West Bank, supposedly the site of the State of Palestine. And Israel’s policy of building illegal settlements on the West Bank, walled off from the West Bank, and linked to Israel by roads open only to Israelis, can be seen quite clearly as the thin end of a wedge to occupy the whole of the West Bank.

Shame on you Barack Obama for bending your knee to the power of the Jewish Lobby. And shame on you for accepting their bribes. The Founding Fathers must be spinning in their graves.

If you want more insights into the Middle East, and its harsh and barbaric societies, from the perspective of weird and wonderful oilfield trash, expatriate characters who washed up there in the oil patch from 1960 to 2001, preview my book THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind” at:

www.amazon.com

and download it if you have a Kindle.

Or if you prefer a real book you can order the paperback edition with free delivery worldwide from:

www.thebookdepository.co.uk

Using the ISBN number is 978-1908147097

or direct from my publisher

www.feedaread.com

Was Einstein Wrong?

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Not about Relativity. I don’t understand that theory anyway so how can I challenge it?
But Einstein defined madness as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
In 1827 the Jewish population of Curacao, a small island that was a Dutch colony in The Caribbean, was “encouraged” by the government to leave the island because the local Creole population was rioting to protest the Jews’ grip on the island’s commercial life.
Numbers of them left and made the short sea journey to Venezuela. They settled in small towns along the coast, and in particular were welcomed into CORO, a delightful Spanish colonial town of cobbled streets and red tiled roofs.
Three years later the local population rioted to protest the Jews’ grip on the commercial life of the town. They survived under government protection by paying a special tax. But in spite of this, 25 years later they were all driven out by rioting locals, and had to return to Curacao.
As that other heavyweight Jewish intellectual Karl Marx said, “(Economic) history repeats itself . . . First time tragedy . . . second time farce.”
If you spend any time in the Arab Middle East you will certainly be asked what you think of the Jahud (The Jews). And you will be told that “although they are our cousins” they are not to be trusted. The Arabs believe that the Israelis are driven by greed. They want the whole of the Middle East and its oil wealth. And they point to the invasions into South Lebanon, the occupation of The Golan Heights, and the continued building of settlements on The West Bank.
If anybody reads this blog I will of course be accused of anti-Semitism. That is the smoke screen that is always used to hide Israel’s brutal occupation of Palestine and the repression of its people. This is a standard tactic in The West to divert attention from the real issue, and is supported by lazy jounalists.
Recently I saw the movie TRUTH about the 60 Minutes investigation of George W Bush’s notional service in the Alabama National Guard that saved him from being drafted to VietNam. The documents that brought this to light were possibly forged, and all subsequent invstigations focussed on this possible forgery and those responsible. It did not investigate whether or not he was a draft dodger, although there was plenty of evidence unrelated to the documents that pointed to the truth.
My book THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind” opens with a story of how the Israeli Defence Force deals ruthlessly with activists who support The Palestinians. Like all the stories in my book it is not pure fiction but has a strong basis in fact.
All 10 stories are character driven from the perspective of weird and wonderful oilfield trash, expatriates who washed up in THE GULF oil patch from 1960 to 2001. My stories are not all grim: they are sometimes humorous, sometimes entertaining – and always informative with an authentic context from my 40 years experience working in the international oil industry centered on The Arabian/Persian Gulf.
My book has had four 5 star reviews and one 4 star review, and you can preview THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind” at:
http://www.amazon.com
http://www.amazon.co.uk
and download it if you have a Kindle.
Or if you prefer a real book you can order the paperback edition with free delivery worldwide from:
http://www.thebookdepository.co.uk
Using the ISBN number is 978-1908147097
or direct from my publisher
http://www.feedaread.com

Paris & Pandora’s Box

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The tragic events that have just unfolded in Paris, and the rise and rise of ISIS, the perpetrators of the atrocities, are a consequence of The West’s foreign policy blundering in the Middle East driven by the desire to control and exploit the vast oil wealth of the region. And the invasion of Iraq, and toppling of Saddam Hussein, opened Pandora’s box in that volatile arena.

In Greek mythology when Pandora opened her box all the EVILS of the World flew out, leaving HOPE inside. How prophetic were the ancient Greeks!

Very briefly in the Arab Spring, HOPE did come out of the box – but was driven back by naïve US State Department tragics trumpeting the benefits of Freedom, and the free market (a.k.a. Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll), and even more naïve adultlescents (a la Charlie Hebdo and The Danes) who think that life is a twitter of LOLZ where you can mock people’s deeply felt beliefs and customs without any thought of the consequences.

When will we learn that you cannot impose a liberal, free thinking, sceptical and decadent Western society on deeply religious, tribal societies that are essentially feudal in their make-up? I have lived and worked in the Middle East for over 40 years, and I can assure you that the majority of Muslims are decent, deeply religious people who want to live a good and quiet life within their family. But the extremists in their midst have learned their lessons well. Terrorism pays dividends.

The main cause of The West’s conflict with Islam in The Middle East is their unconditional support for the State of Israel – a state founded on the back of Zionist terrorism (IRGUN and the STERN Gang, the bombing of the King David Hotel etc.). There is no hope of peace in the Middle East until the question of Israel is resolved to the satisfaction of The Arab nation. Even if ISIS is defeated another,and more extreme, movement will rise from the ashes, just as ISIS rose from Al-Qua’eda’s demise.

Pandora’s box is wide open and we will never force the lid back on.

If you want insights into the Middle East, and its harsh and apparently barbaric societies, and its corruption, from the perspective of weird and wonderful oilfield trash, expatriate characters who washed up there in the oil patch from 1960 to 2001, preview my book THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind” at:

www.amazon.com

and download it if you have a Kindle.

Or if you prefer a real book you can order the paperback edition from:

www.thebookdepository.co.uk

Using the ISBN number is 978-1908147097

(They offer free delivery worldwide)

or direct from my publisher

www.feedaread.com

Death to Drug Dealers

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Living in Australia as I do I have been caught up in the wave of sympathy for the Bali Bombers sitting on Death Row as desperate measures are taken to prevent their execution by firing squad BUT – and there is always a but I guess – not anymore.

My grandaughter who is only just 5 years old came home from school using the F word. So now the evil tentacles of the “Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll crowd” otherwise known as the foul mouthed Showbusiness reprobates (or the friends of Jimmie Saville) are reaching into the school playground and my grandaughter, and other children, are being robbed of their childhood innocence.

I flew into a rage at this, and the thought that in the not too distant future of them being offered drugs in the school playground and having their innocent young lives permanently blighted as is happening in America.

So now I believe that those who spread this poison through society should face the death penalty. And I believe that those weak souls who fall victim to drugs should be treated with firmness too – as they are in Saudi Arabia.

There is a drug problem there as there is in The West. About sixty percent of the 50 or so beheadings that take place every year are for drug smuggling. But the victims of the drug trade, the addicts it has created, are quietly removed from society and put through an enforced rehab program, and only released when the authorities are satisfied they are cured.

Once again the Saudis demonstrate that social stability is more important than a weak kneed concern for an individual’s civil rights.

If you want insights into the Middle East and its harsh and apparently barbaric societies, based on my 40 years experience there from the perspective of the weird and wonderful oilfield trash, expatriate characters who washed up there in the oil patch from 1960 to 2001, preview my book THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind” at:

www.amazon.com

and download it if you have a Kindle.

Or if you prefer a real book you can order the paperback edition from:

www.thebookdepository.co.uk

Using the ISBN number is 978-1908147097

They offer free delivery worldwide.

RULE BRITANNIA

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Britannia Rules the Waves:

I have just returned from an extended holiday in Tasmania. Not a place I really wanted to visit – but I am glad I went because it is a well preserved microcosm of British Empire building.

Raised as I was to despise the jingoism, racial predjudice and blind patriotism of the colonialists, the more I travel the World, the more I have come to admire the energy, the vision the bravery of those Empire builders. Just 22 million people from a small mist shrouded island whose maritime skills and initiatives dominated the World, and left in many cases an admirable legacy.

Port Arthur, Tasmania was founded as a penal colony in 1833 and was closed in 1877. In that short 44 years using convict labour it was a timber cutting facility, a coal mine, a flour mill, a foundry and a pententiary for some 2,000 convicts. But even in those far off days while the regime was brutal it was not as primitive as you might imagine.

The penitentiary was a solid 3 story structure of sandstone with shared cells. There was a separate psychological prison for hardened criminals beyond redemption in solitary confinement, and a separate Boys’ prison on an island to keep young offenders away from adult criminals. And later there was a rest home for elderly prisoners that could not be rehabilitated and returned to society that was possibly the model for Britain’s welfare state. How enlightened is all that?

The rehabiltation program was a well established 4 step procedure. A period of hard labour, a period as a trustee, a period as a parollee – and finally release into society with sometimes a gift of free land. So how enlightened was that.

There was a model village with a Governer’s mansion, a house for the Surgeon General, and a lovely sandstone Anglican church – and housing for the military and civilian personnel who ran the settlement. There were frequent dinner parties and social functions (horse racing and whale boat racing) to create a home from home and keep people from “going bush” – an important discipline in the British Empire.

Port Arthur is set in a lovely sheltered bay on what is essentially a heavily wooded island surrounded by rough seas only connected to the Tasmanian mainland by a very narrow strip of land (Eagles Neck). It was easy to defend and almost impossible to escape from because in those days most people could not swim and to enter the bush meant disoreintation, snakes and spiders and eventual death.

I am gobsmacked by how these enterprising people found these wonderful and lovely sites for their developments. The Dutch came first (hence the name Van Diemans land), and French botanists and zoologists later, and both moved on – but it was the British who settled and developed it. Just one small development in a World with a plethra of developments.

Think India, the jewel in The Crown, with the British heritage of a common language, a judical and educational system, and the largest parliamentary democracy in the World . Think Malaysia and Singapore and even Burma, now slowly returning to democracy. And think the USA, also founded by the British (look at the names of the founding fathers and the first Presidents).

So how is it that the American imperialists, and the British before them, have not been able to establish a stable legacy in the Middle East?

If you want insights into The West’s relationship with the Middle East and its complexity from the perspective of the weird and wonderful oilfield trash, expatriate characters who washed up there in the oil patch from 1960 to 2001, preview my book THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind” at:

www.amazon.com and download it if you have a Kindle.

Or if you prefer a real book you can order the paperback edition from:

www.thebookdepository.co.uk

Using the ISBN number is 978-1908147097

They offer free delivery worldwide.

Treating the Symptoms . . .

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Anybody who has been reading my blogs will know my favourite saying by now. After spending 25 years in The British Library analysing World History Karl Marx’s succinct analysis was:

“History repeats itself – first time tragedy, second time farce.”

The bloody French, of course, express it more elegantly:
“Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose”
(The more things change, the more they stay the same)

And here down under in Australia among the Bogans and the Blodgers the Think Tanks are postulating (predicting) that the War on Terror will last the whole of the 21st century, and maybe beyond.
What they are talking about of course is not a war on terror but the Clash of Cultures between Islam and America’s neo-Con free market capitalism. And that war will continue as long as the USA persists in its unconditional support for Israel; its attempt to impose their barbaric “survival of the fittest” society on the World to crack open markets for their Coca Cola Big Mac culture; the pillage of the natural resources of the Third World (oil, hardwood, white fish etc.) – and in the process assassinating elected leaders, deposing legitimate governments, and bombing the sh*t out of anybody who dares to oppose them.
Saddam Hussein, by Middle Eastern standards an enlightened and secular despot, was deposed and replaced with an atavistic and vengeful Shia government that has split the country wide open on religious and tribal fault lines. Al-Qa’eda was degraded and rendered manageable (but not defeated) – but in its place like a Phoenix (or more exactly like the Lernaean HYDRA, the multi headed serpent of Greek mythology that protected the gates of Hades) has grown the much more ferocious and well organized ISIS. And when ISIS is finally downgraded (but not defeated) by a ferocious assault that will kill thousands and maim and shatter the lives of millions (reminiscent of Israel’s ferocious assaults on The Gaza Strip) that will only deepen the hatred of all things American, what will rise in its place will be an even more barbaric and fervent fundamental version of Islam.
My book THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind” that was first published 3 years ago grew out of a play that I wrote 16 years ago when I was living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In spite of a successful rehearsed reading at the Soho Theatre in London, theatre managers would not produce it because they found the climax (the honour killing of a young Muslim woman and the beheading of an American) far too violent. Yet a few years later we had the grisly beheading of Daniel Pearle, and honour killings and female suicide bombers are commonplace, and the barbaric actions of ISIS, including crucifixions, now make my play look tame.
If you want an insight into the disease that afflicts The West’s relationship with the Middle East and its complexity from an expatriate perspective, preview my book THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind” at:
http://www.amazon.com/author/mikerichards
and download it if you have a Kindle.
Or if you prefer a real book you can order the paperback edition from:
http://www.thebookdepository.co.uk
The ISBN number is 978-1908147097
They offer free delivery worldwide.