You down with OPP

It's hot today and I'm being lazy, reading Other People's Posts. So here are pointers to some good stuff.

I've spent a lot of time arguing about the importance of oil as a centerpiece of the American Enterprise on the geopolitical stage. Not much of stretch, I know. But one feature I haven't spent much time on is the neoconservative connection to Israel and how that affects and informs US foreign policy in the Middle East. I would argue that oil still holds preeminence and we'd probably be there anyway, whether Israel existed or not. But it does and Israel certainly has its influence. Kel at The Osterely Times presents an excellent argument on this aspect of American foreign policy and especially how Israeli influence is informing the Bush administration's drive to attacking Iran. I'm not partial to believing that Dick Cheney gives a rat's ass about Israel, but there are enough neoconservative Likudniks "advising" the administration to steer the ship of our ever-increasing police state with Kinesset consideration. Conveniently, attacking Iran represents a confluence of interests, both for Cheney and Israel. Check out Kel's post, well worth a read.

Hotpotatomash offers up much more extensive coverage of the AT&T "mistake" during it's webcast of the Lollapalooza concert, when Eddy Vedder's song lyrics contained some inconvenient remarks about the president. He even has the video of the audio drop. hpm also convinces me, not that that would take much, to drop AT&T service. I had been with Cingular and, through no action on my part, wound up with these buggers again. When I call to cancel, I really hope they ask me, why.

Once again, Len Hart at The Existentialist Cowboy offers up a heapin' helping of sense and sensibility in an extensive multi-media presentation with the excellent How the Ship of State Became the Ship of Fools.

Swedish Meatballs Confidential always makes me wonder if I am reading things correctly. Which is why I'm wondering about possible ulterior motives for the piece in Time magazine that Meatball One points out in Injun Country Networking on the improving conditions inside the Gaza strip, coming, as it appears to be, at the hands of Hamas. Considering the previous propaganda engagements of Time magazine, can it really be just a case of actual, on-the-ground reportage? It sure looks that way. Don't miss it.

Mountain Runner, often referred by Swedish Meatballs Confidential, is a fascinating place, attuned to lots of IO bits. For instance, did you know that Hezbollah is laying their own cable for a telecom network? Naturally, this has the powers girding loins.

There's some grist for the weekend mill.