the russian bear or fear of flying

Vladimir Putin was giving George Bush a lesson in politics this week. Comrade Putin made it clear there would be no return to the cold war, that there is no ideological differences between America and Russia anymore. This is wonderful.

I am afraid what our President is missing is that Russia wants to become part of NATO. This a natural realignment of world power. There are two huge aggressive forces in the world right now. that is Islamic fundamentalism and China. Neither shares any history or christian values with the west. Russia could be a powerful Friend against these two forces.

Russia has been selling Iran alot of nuclear technology and the right people to go with it. I think Russia is beginning to see that was a foolish thing to do. The Islamics have not forgotten the war in Afghanistan nor the wars of liberation that were fought in the old USSR satellites that were Islamic. Comrade Vladimir is beginning to see that that nuclear sword can cut on both sides of the Ural mountains. Hopefully our next president will see this and welcome our old allies from WWII back into the European family.

Let us not forget our Friends the Chinese. Whose name in America is pronounced Wal-Mart. Whose expanding economy needs oil and arable land more than anything else. China fields a 200 million man army and plenty of hungry people. Mother Russia has both oil and lots of good land for growing all the food bought from the USA. When the price of fuel to transport all that grain from here to there gets to expensive to make a profit. There will be alot more hungry angry people in China. Russia will then find out who the real enemy is.

Northwest airlines raised their prices significantly this week, especially for international flights. All the rest of the airlines are sure to follow. The sky rocketing price of oil is the official cause and It is a problem that is going to get worse not better.

I am somewhat skeptical . Even when was oil was cheap. The airlines were cutting back on maintenance personal and service people. They admitted that the had accidentally spent all the money in the pension funds so there would not be any, and oh by the way their top executives were making salary's and bonuses that made the Bear Sterns people jealous.

The airlines were deregulated in 1979, and they have been going down hill ever since. Flying used to be a pleasant experience Americans looked forward to. Now in 2008 it has become a nightmare that Americans dread.

The problem is two fold. The first is Profits by any means necessary. The second is Americans have come to believe for no logical reason Cheap air travel is a Right. Americans are outraged that they can not fly to Miami for 99.00. Americans are incensed because they have to wait so long in airport terminals. because they have to fly as cheap as humanly possible.

The price of oil going way up is the best thing that could happen to the flying public. Simply because less people will fly. Flights will be on time, it will be much safer and hopefully on schedule. This is the first step into the new reality that expensive oil is bringing to the world.