Chaos and Order

Several months ago, the Union of Islamic Courts, and system of 12 religious courts in Somalia, began taking over the country. Originally created by local businesses in a desparate attempt to instill order in Mogadishu, the UIC gained rapid support from the populace.

The Courts instituted a number of progressive reforms, including a halt on roadblock fees, which dramatically reduced the price of basic food in Mogadishu.

Ethiopia recently invaded Somalia, claiming that the Islamic Courts were being fronted by Eritrea. They drove back the UIC in a matter of days, using jet fighters and armor. Even the U.S. has taken part in the rollup, directly bombing targets in southern Somalia.

God forbid people ever create their own government. The United States Government has made it abundantly clear that it would rather people live in poverty and famine than ever lift a hand in freedom or self-governance.

The people that bombed Somalia rule us. God help us.

Winner Take All

With the U.S. readying itself to pull out of Iraq, the final winners and losers will come clear.

One group of big winners seems to be large oil companies. The Iraqi parliament is preparing to pass a 30-year production sharing agreement with BP, Shell, Exxon, and Chevron, among others.

Meanwhile, the bungled execution of Saddam Hussein is obscuring the press.