The Guns of August

Latest developments:

America is going to station missiles in Poland:

"The U.S. claims that the missile defense system, made up of 10 interceptor rockets in Poland, and a radar installation in the neighboring Czech Republic, will be used to defend against attacks against the so-called rogue states, such as Iran. However, the missile interceptors are effective only against short-range ballistic missiles, and there are no rogue states within short range of Poland.

The Russian border, on the other hand, is just 180 kilometers from the planned site of the installation." -more

Russia is going to station missiles in Syria:

"Russia is prepared to supply Syria with defensive weapons, the Russian foreign minister said on Thursday following a meeting between the two countries' leaders in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi." -more

So it's clear that the world is getting ready for something big, and I'm afraid that it might not be "just" a Cold War.

Weak Dollar

Friends visiting from the States are complaining that their U.S. Dollars don't go as far as they used to. Both here in Israel and in Europe. * * *

As I write these words the world is turning from the Olympics to take a peek at what seems to be a war between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway territory of South Ossetia, which is legally in Georgia, a West-leaning country on Russia's southern border that hopes to become part of NATO.

Europe's ethnic and nationalist struggles seem to be moving back to pre-Soviet times ...of course back then The U.S.A. was a manufacturing powerhouse and the American Dollar was as solid as the rock of Gibraltar.

* * * And how is this going to impact the American Presidential elections?