The Central Bank of Iran

Quote: AZDuffman

Iran is an enemy to the USA since 1979.

But who said anything about killing anyone, other than you.

I apologize if I misunderstood your meaning. Sincerely.

I just see so much animosity toward anyone sitting over oil reserves, so many pounding war drums, and seemingly endless war.

Why is Iran our enemy? Or for that matter why is Cuba, and not communist China?

Hard to understand how our enemies are sold to us and how Saudi is our friend.

Quote: petroglyph

I apologize if I misunderstood your meaning. Sincerely.

I just see so much animosity toward anyone sitting over oil reserves, so many pounding war drums, and seemingly endless war.

Why is Iran our enemy? Or for that matter why is Cuba, and not communist China?

Hard to understand how our enemies are sold to us and how Saudi is our friend.

Iran and Cuba does not have a central bank than prints the fiat money and loans it out to the government at interest like we do in USA. Any countries that have money system that is not based on debt must be destroyed to preserve our way of life as long as possible. China and Saudi do have a central bank.

Ask any American if they want to eliminate the deficit, i.e have zero deficit. They will answer yes.
Ask that same person if they want to get rid of all money, this paper we call the federal reserve note that is posing as the USD and they will say no. They do not understand that both are the one and the same. No deficit, no fiat money.

Quote: petroglyph

I apologize if I misunderstood your meaning. Sincerely.

I just see so much animosity toward anyone sitting over oil reserves, so many pounding war drums, and seemingly endless war.

Why is Iran our enemy? Or for that matter why is Cuba, and not communist China?

Hard to understand how our enemies are sold to us and how Saudi is our friend.

First to management, sorry if this partially repeats my other post, I didn't see this thread.

Iran was a staunch US Ally until 1978/79. It was undergoing social change much as the USA was in the 1960s. In the USA we had a silent majority who thought the change was going too far too fast and we went from a generation of Democrat Presidents to GOP, with the brief exception of Carter post-watergate. In Iran it was quite a bit more harsh, it became an Isalmic Revolution. Every revolution needs an enemy and the enemy there was the USA and western values. It was unique, however, in that Iran did not run to the USSR but hated them almost as much as they hated the USA.

"Peace" is not what meets the needs of the USA in the Middle East, instead we need a Mexican Standoff where nobody can get regional hegemony. In thel good old days of the Shah, we balanced and played Iran and Saudi Arabia off one another. Then Saddam Hussein gave us the best geopolitical gift since Operation Barbarossa when Iraq attacked Iran. This directed Iranian attention east and sapped their ability to close the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, it scared Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to death and they poured money into Iraq while at the same time realizing they needed America as a friend.

Life in Iran is horrible, so their leaders continue to rally the people against the USA and Israel. If they did not, another revolution would probably happen.

As to why Cuba is an enemy where China is less so, that is more simple. On the first level it is as simple as geography. Cuba is the key to the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico is the key to the Mississippi River system and the Mississippi River System is the key to exports in the industrial and agricultural heartland of the USA. Were a foreign navy able to base there it would be in a perfect staging area to block imports of oil and exports of everything from corn to cars. This seems inconceivable today, but things change. In 1980 the USSR was on the march, by 1992 it ceased to exist. Things can change.

China, OTOH, we need more. The US Navy has China fairly boxed in. China is a balance to Russia, India, and Pakistan in Asia, a place where we want the same Mexican Standoff as we do in the Middle East. In reality, we want a Mexican Standoff everywhere we can get one, as long as nobody decides to shoot.

Quote: AZDuffman

Cuba is the key to the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico is the key to the Mississippi River system and the Mississippi River System is the key to exports in the industrial and agricultural heartland of the USA. Were a foreign navy able to base there it would be in a perfect staging area to block imports of oil and exports of everything from corn to cars. This seems inconceivable today, but things change. In 1980 the USSR was on the march, by 1992 it ceased to exist. Things can change.

U.S. policy towards China has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. And so has U.S. policy towards Russia. But U.S policy towards Cuba? Things haven't changed so much.

Cuba is no longer a threat, so why prohibit trade & travel? Even today China is probably still a far graver threat to U.S. security than Cuba. And yet it's legal and acceptable for any Fortune 500 company to set up shop in Shanghai. But don't even think about buying a cigar or a pineapple from those Cuban commies.

Quote: reno

Cuba is no longer a threat, so why prohibit trade & travel?

Cubans are a significant voting block of Florida, and Florida is a key state in elections? And they don't want that. That's my guess.

I don't know if that has changed over the years.

I guess the other answer is, we don't really need Cuba. They need us. So, we can wait forever, if necessary.

Quote: reno

U.S. policy towards China has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. And so has U.S. policy towards Russia. But U.S policy towards Cuba? Things haven't changed so much.

Russia and China have changed a great deal in 30 years, Cuba has not. In 1983 China was just really starting to become important on the world stage. Russia was the USSR and was just beyond their second post-WWII peak geopolitically. Since then the USSR disappeared to become Russia, a poor nation with a rich military. China has become a poor country with a few really rich areas. We no longer need a strong China to balance a strong USSR. So policy changes.

Cuba is no longer a threat, so why prohibit trade & travel? Even today China is probably still a far graver threat to U.S. security than Cuba. And yet it's legal and acceptable for any Fortune 500 company to set up shop in Shanghai. But don't even think about buying a cigar or a pineapple from those Cuban commies.

Cuba, OTOH, has not changed much. It remains the most dependent nation on earth, now Venezuela is the sugar daddy where the USSR was before and the USA before that. As I mentioned before, Cuba itself is not a threat. Cuba with a Chinese naval base *IS* a very large threat. The USA would much prefer a friendly and subdued Cuba, but in the absence of that a hostile Cuba is unacceptable and as such the USA will continue to apply as much pressure as possible to return things to the former.

And lets not forget, Cuba stole much USA property in the early 1960s, China and the USSR tool little if any.

I didn't start this thread, and it would be easier for me if the whole thing disappeared, it begins with my apology to Azduffman for my misunderstanding.

My post at the top was "post jacked" from another thread.

I don't think Iran has a central bank , or if they do it's Shia derived in principle.

They don't allow usury.

Quote: petroglyph

I didn't start this thread, and it would be easier for me if the whole thing disappeared, it begins with my apology to Azduffman for my misunderstanding.

My post at the top was "post jacked" from another thread.

I don't think Iran has a central bank , or if they do it's Shia derived in principle.

They don't allow usury.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Bank_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran

Just FYI

Quote: thecesspit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Bank_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran

Just FYI

As it is mentioned in the wikipedia, it is totally government owned. That is why it is not a central bank. They print money that is same as the US Notes, the red seal paper money.

Quote: AceCrAAckers

As it is mentioned in the wikipedia, it is totally government owned. That is why it is not a central bank. They print money that is same as the US Notes, the red seal paper money.

Never know at which is an accepted layer of speech?

My meaning was "central bank" as in affiliated with the BIS or World Bank.

Certainly they have a state central bank. That's why they are a threat.

Quote: petroglyph

Never know at which is an accepted layer of speech?

My meaning was "central bank" as in affiliated with the BIS or World Bank.

Certainly they have a state central bank. That's why they are a threat.

Ok, I'll play along with your logic.

So if they did not have a state central bank, they would not be a threat. Rothschild please open shop in Iran and create debt based money that you can loan into existence and control them like you control rest of the world.

Quote: AceCrAAckers

Ok, I'll play along with your logic.

So if they did not have a state central bank, they would not be a threat. Rothschild please open shop in Iran and create debt based money that you can loan into existence and control them like you control rest of the world.

Yeah, there are definitely flaws in my logic. Normalcy bias can be a real head shaker.

Hey, somebody's got to print the fiat right? Whether it's red seal or red shield probably makes no difference. The mic needs an enemy.

By deception thou shalt wage war.

Seems like shaking hands with Tony Blair turned out to be as dangerous as being a "friend of Bills", the most dangerous occupation in Arkansas.

Ole crazy Ghadafi, didn't work out so good for him now did it. Assad's really cussing that dinner date as well.

Damn petro dollar anyway.

Quote: AZDuffman

As I mentioned before, Cuba itself is not a threat.

Yeah, but as an American I find it offensive that the know-it-all politicians get to decide for me which exotic beaches I'm allowed to visit (Bahamas, Jamaica) and which exotic beaches are illegal for me to visit (Cuba). I admit that my complaint is trivial and nitpicky in the grand scheme of things (I don't lose too much sleep over this issue.)

If the Cuban travel ban had been effective, Cuba would be capitalist by now. But the travel ban has been completely ineffective, so the US must continue to enforce it forever.

Quote: reno

Yeah, but as an American I find it offensive that the know-it-all politicians get to decide for me which exotic beaches I'm allowed to visit (Bahamas, Jamaica) and which exotic beaches are illegal for me to visit (Cuba). I admit that my complaint is trivial and nitpicky in the grand scheme of things (I don't lose too much sleep over this issue.)

If the Cuban travel ban had been effective, Cuba would be capitalist by now. But the travel ban has been completely ineffective, so the US must continue to enforce it forever.

I must not be explaining myself right. We don't care that it is capitalist or not, democratic or not. If it were both this would be good. But what we care about is a friendly government that allows US domination and does not allow hostile powers around. The Beard and his brother are anti-USA, which is an unacceptable situation.

FWIW, I believe you are allowed to travel to Cuba, you just cannot purchase even a cup of coffee. I could be incorrect here, and yes, the effective result is Americans cannot go there. If the ban gets lifted I do wonder if Havana would become the playground it once was, or will it be like Cuban Cigars--destroyed by years of communism and not much special about it.

As to the Bahamas, I'm in no hurry to go back there. Very rude people and bad service.

Quote: rxwine

Cubans are a significant voting block of Florida, and Florida is a key state in elections? And they don't want that. That's my guess.

I don't know if that has changed over the years.

While the Cubans are growing older, they are still influential. Anything that may change the minds of 5% of Floridians is crucial in national politics.

But it is in many ways getting ridiculous. The most powerful nation in the world afraid to send tourists to an island only 100 miles away based primarily on events that happened half a century ago.

Bahamas gets between 5 and 6 million tourists a year. They probably won't be happy about Cuba opening up.

@ AZduffman

I like to hear your thoughts on this standoff in congress right now.

Do you think there is any possibility of treasury not making ss payments on time this month?

On Cuba, I read China is drilling for oil/gas or will off the coast.

I've read too many opinions on whether we've reached peak oil or not, but did read a couple reports on a super giant field stretching

from Haiti to Cuba.

Are you involved somehow as an asset?

Quote: AZDuffman

FWIW, I believe you are allowed to travel to Cuba, you just cannot purchase even a cup of coffee. I could be incorrect here, and yes, the effective result is Americans cannot go there.

True, but... the penalty is fucking nuts: up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine. The penalty is more destructive than the crime! Perhaps this nonsense was defensible in 1973, but in 2013?

Quote: pacomartin

The most powerful nation in the world afraid to send tourists to an island only 100 miles away based primarily on events that happened half a century ago.

Exactly.