Brazil worries about The Great Seizure

Introduction:

Even though I had written the following piece about 18 months ago, it’s worth repeating – as are warnings which sometimes have to be given many times before they sink in. When I first posted this, I worried that I was being overly anxious. However, considering how events have unfolded in Afghanistan and Libya, a state of high anxiety is becoming increasingly justifiable.

Don’t think the Neo-Cons have disappeared simply because we now have a black president. Don’t think US ambitions for world control have been put on any kind of back-burner.

I offer this piece and encourage you to keep a watchful eye on developments in Central and South America. It’s too easy to overlook what’s going on in our own backyard, while we focus on antics overseas. If more people exercise greater overall diligence, perhaps the US government would rein in some of its more adventurous schemes.

As posted on Dec. 24, 2009 – a warning

On Dec. 19, I had posted on Gaia [a now defunct website] a blog I'd just written entitled, The Great Seizure. Then two days later I happened to see, on Yahoo News, an article bearing this title: "Resource-rich Brazil puts up its guard." This article supports a statement I made in The Great Seizure: "Don't suppose for a moment that our ‘allies' and others aren't aware of all this."

My thesis - the "all this" referred to above - was stated in my very first sentence: "The Great Seizure will occur when the United States uses its military to start taking stuff."

From: "Resource-rich Brazil puts up its guard":

QUOTE:

Brazil's planned reentry into the satellite business ... [is] part of a far-reaching defense plan to ward off potential plunderers of its immense natural resources, [Brazilian] officials say.

"In the coming era of scarcity, we're going to have to defend what we've got with our claws, our feet and our weapons," said a consultant to the Defense ministry [of Brazil] who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak. "The challenges could come from neighbors, they could come from the U.S., they could come from China - all allies now, but potential competitors in the future."

:UNQUOTE: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-brazil-defense18-2009dec18,0,6675591.story

Let's get two things straight right off the bat. First, this Brazilian consultant was indeed authorized to speak, but was also ordered to say he wasn't. You may be very sure the Brazilian government wants it to become widely known that it sees the U.S. as a potential plunderer of its resources. I'll come right out and say it: "The U.S. will do its level best to plunder Brazil's resources." Can there be any doubt about this? Oh, and don't tell me "we're the good guys," since nobody can possibly believe that any more.

Second, when this consultant said, "The challenges could ... come from the U.S., they could come from China," he only mentioned China and alluded to other "potential competitors" in order to avoid the appearance of singling out the United States. However, it is the United States, and the United States alone, that his words were really targeting. Think about this for a moment: He couldn't have meant China, since any Chinese threats would be strongly rebuffed by the US itself invoking the Monroe Doctrine. That doctrine, in fact, would serve to rebuff any non-American country.

Which invites a question: Should Brazil fear any of its Central and South American neighbors? The answer to that is a resounding "no," since (hands down) Brazil has the strongest military in those two areas. In fact, according to http://www.globalfirepower.com/ (which ranks countries militarily, but excludes consideration of nuclear weapons), Brazil's military strength is rated #8 in the world, just behind Germany. The only regional power even close to Brazil is Argentina, ranked #33.

Actually, Central and South American nations will end up looking to Brazil to unify the region and lead the resistance against Washington's designs. I cite three points from Hugh O'Shaughnessy's article* entitled "US builds up its bases in oil-rich South America":

• From the Caribbean to Brazil, political opposition to US plans for ‘full-spectrum operations' is escalating rapidly.

• The United States is massively building up its potential for nuclear and non-nuclear strikes in Latin American and the Caribbean by acquiring unprecedented freedom of action in seven new military, naval and air bases in Colombia.

• The fact that the US gets half its oil from Latin America was one of the reasons the US Fourth Fleet was re-established in the region's waters in 2008. [I disagree with the author here: The Fourth Fleet was re-established to facilitate The Great Seizure.]

   * http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-builds-up-its-bases-in-oilrich-south-america-1825398.html

The writing is on the wall:

Pertinent link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Armed_Forces#Extensive_Modernization_Program

This link has a section entitled Extensive Modernization Program, which includes two ominous sentences:

• In 2008, Brazil has signed a strategic partnership with France and Russia to trade military technology.

• In a second agreement, France will provide technical assistance to Brazil so that Brazil can design and produce indigenous nuclear powered submarines, to be completely built in Brazil [my emphasis].

This EMP section does not mention the United States at all. However, perhaps there's a reason for this:

QUOTE:

Christian Girault, a Latin American geopolitics specialist at France's National Centre for Scientific Research, told FRANCE 24. "The United States is traditionally Brazil's strongest ally. But now [Brazil] is looking to diversify its partners... because the economic crisis has reduced the prestige of the United States."

:UNQUOTE:

[ http://www.france24.com/en/20090907-sarkozy-lula-silva-brazil-france-combat-fighter-jets-rafale-military-defence ]

I respectfully disagree with Mssr. Girault. Brazil is "looking to diversity its partners" alright, but not "because the economic crisis has reduced the prestige of the United States." Prestige has nothing to do with Brazil's diversification. Distrust of US intentions has everything to do with it.

For at least the time being, however, the US will tolerate Brazilian expenditures for military upgrading for two reasons:

• As an assist for the world economy.

• Because it will prove to be an ineffective counterbalance to US forces - no build-up Brazil undertakes could possibly resist a serious US assault.

What can Brazil hope to accomplish?

Upgrading Brazil's military can have several useful purposes. By specifically citing the US as a potential plunderer, Brazil can hope to embarrass the United States into behaving itself. But...it takes a lot to embarrass the US.

Perhaps by assuming the mantle of Central and South American leadership, Brazil hopes to galvanize a broad-based opposition to US interference. This would prove particularly difficult for the US to counter if two events come to pass:

• Admission of Brazil to the UN Security Council.

• Brazil initiating some type of foreign aid program to help its less fortunate neighbors, in addition to developing joint economic ventures with these countries.

I hope, however, that Brazil's enhanced military doesn't end up persecuting domestic dissidents or overthrowing its government. Among others things, that might encourage direct US intervention (okay, I'll say it: "invasion").

"It didn't have to come to this."

I hope we don't end up saying, "It didn't have to come to this," if the US should end up subjugating Brazil as part of The Great Seizure. When I campaigned for the US presidency in 2008, I included this (as point #21) in my 47-point contract:

QUOTE:

Within 90 days of my inauguration, I will order all US personnel out of all facilities located at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This will allow Cuba to reoccupy that land, as is its sovereign right.

:UNQUOTE.

I wanted to send a clear message to our Central and South American neighbors, by means of this humble token of imperialistic renouncement (point #21):

"Gone are the days of US interference in your affairs. Long live the right of self-determination."

Unfortunately, my campaign for the presidency never got off the ground. For if it had, I'm sure my 47-points would have been embraced as breaths of fresh air. More than that: As vital. But, no, my offer of a legally-enforceable contract to the electorate did not reach enough ears. As a consequence, we have President Obama leading us inexorably to The Great Seizure.

Well, I tried my best to stop the madness which will surely unfold. For my failure, you have my apology.

Steven Searle for US President in 2012

"It will be interesting to see if Brazil succeeds in fulfilling its destiny or, instead, becomes just another vassal state" - Steve.

Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party

Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com