ALBA (Not Jessica)

ALBA is the acronym for the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas. It includes, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Cuba, Nicaragua, ?Honduras?, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica. They are introducing the SUCRE currency next year, and it will be similar in purpose to the Euro for its members.

One can notice the trend with the Euro, East Caribbean Dollar, and now SUCRE that a world currency is forming. Whether this is good or bad, a sign of unity or the apocalypse I don't care. What matters is that so far the benefits definately outweigh the negatives. I think the U.S. should push for a worldwide currency in trade. The currency is coming, and it would be beneficial to be the leaders in this global change rather than the ones left behind. The currency does not have to betray our values. The basic understanding of human rights, freedom, and democracy can be presented with global symbols instead of only national. What does this mean? Statue of liberty instead of one-eyed pyramid. Perhaps instead of leaders there could be words written in the five most common languages promoting freedom of speech, democracy, and human rights. It is a change that seems unpatriotic at times. I know the concerns about supranationalism.

The "beyond borders" nation is forming. It is undeniable. What forces control it is still up to us if we take the lead in creating it. Unlike the U.N. we can stall progress because we are the super power. Promote it now while we still have leadership in the world. Without us any effort for a greater state will fail. Yet with the forces at work our supremacy is being lost and the world is moving into a position to be able to go ahead with a global state without us. We can not let this happen or our future is not secure and our strength in peril.

What has really placed ALBA on the rising ranks in the world is oil. Venezuela and Cuba working together to extract and refine oil cheaply (compared to other makers) and sell them to the other nations in Latin America as aid could not be turned down. This is why many countries currenty recieve oil aid from the ALBA network even if they are not members. Costa Rica is an example. This oil supply comes from a breakthrough in refining heavy oil (the type of oil found in Venezuela which has, in the past, been expensive to refine and could only be refined in Texas) by Cuba, whose partnership founded ALBA.

How do we counter this cheaper oil? Since we in the U.S. have leaders unwilling to get oil domestically, we must turn to the alternatives. Today President Obama spoke at the G8 about alternative energy and climate change. Regardless of my opinion, he said we made the effort to become a major alternative energy producer and have initiatives to increase our use and improve the technology. Whether or not this will work, it is what Obama and his team came up with so we are stuck with it. Now, the long-run thinking is we could become the industry nation for green technology. Good or bad, it would make us a leader in the position of clean energy (if it works.) We could export the green technology and thus have our place in the world as a manufacturer restored.

Why do I mention this? Because geopolitically, if we could supply alternative energies that could reduce, perhaps even eliminate the need for oil in Latin America then we could diffuse the initial power of the ALBA alliance. All of its members had the reduced cost oil aid before becoming full members. So if we provide the capability to not need oil, ALBA will lose recruiting power in the region. The current members I believe are so entrenched in their new political leanings towards continuismo that just making oil less appealing will not work. However with four nations, possibly five, becoming or planning to become members of ALBA this year alone the reduced oil option is one that must be thwarted. Obama's green energy plan, should it work, may provide the resources we need to do that very thing.

Now whether or not I feel Obama sympathizes with the ALBA leftist leanings toward Socialism and Fascism makes little difference. It is if he does that we need be concerned. His support for Zelaya shows hints of support for ALBA that he could not state publicly. I fear Barack Obama desires the referendums and reforms for limitless presidential power that the leaders in the ALBA alliance have sought. It would explain why he supports Zelaya, a drug smuggler, to be returned to Honduras as president after he attempted such a referendum. I still lack the hardened evidence of why the world has turned on justice, but my theories may become more irrational as the logic stares me in the face.

The logic provided by the world is that this is a military coup in Honduras. I've proven that wrong, so the other explanations are still lacking. I seek the answers and if you have them please tell me.