Moving on from the chap's flick

Well, I think you all agree with me that the little footnote-post about that comic trash was a hit! I had much fun with comments. But more importantly, the high traffic on that site testified to the importance and centrality of visual culture, sadly hegemonized by Hollywood. Let's face it: Hollywood and the Weimar German cinema are blood brothers; fathered by the Soviet cinema.

But let's move from fiction to facts:

Halliburton's move to Dubai took a back seat to all the fuss about Scooter Libby! [I love it how opportunistic the Cheney mafia is!]

Halliburton, established in Oklahoma in 1919 under New Method Oil Well Cementing Co. is well on their way to realize their century-goal:

Over the weekend, the company announced that its chief executive, Dave Lesar, would move to a new corporate headquarters in Dubai to focus on business in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia.

Of course, democrats are alarmed and Sen, Byron Dorgan wants to know: "is Halliburton trying to run away from bad publicity on their contracts? Are they trying to run away from the obligation to pay U.S. taxes? Or are they trying to set up a corporate presence in Dubai so that they can avoid the restrictions that currently exist on doing business with prohibited countries like Iran?"

As we all know last year, Halliburton received $6.1 billion of Defense Department contracts. that explains Cheney's war-mongering tendencies. But, the war-mongering Cheney also used to lobby, both as head of Halliburton and as Vice President for the U.S., to lift sanctions against Iran and Libya. Without waiting, however, Halliburton's been long doing business with Iran.

Now, irrespective of the Democratic Senator Leahy's indignation, considering Halliburton's practices an insult to the U.S. soldiers and taxpayers who pay the tab for Halliburton's no-bid contracts, some oil analysts and consultants are heralding Halliburton's move to "the Eastern Hemisphere", as that is more heavily weighted toward oil exploration and production opportunities, which will bring more balance to Halliburton's overall portfolio.

Halliburton, however is not the only one who is heading to Dubai for Business. Iran too has vast economic interests in Dubai. According to the Energy Information Administration Iran also holds about 20-30% of foreign investments in Dubai. Despite some subtle territorial dispute, Iranians seem to be in a warm relationship with Dubai. The Iranian Business directory in Dubai lists over 7100 businesses, in 31 categories, ranging from media to Oil, from transportation to agriculture and most prominently in real estate with large investments, alleged to belong to one of the most powerful men in the Iranian government, Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Mike Davis provides a detailed look into what kind of economy Dubai promotes! The free market economy, AEI-desired and Sheikh-style, perhaps aims to make this sinister paradise into the new Switzerland for banking in the Persian Gulf: a "neutral" financial haven, most needed at times of world wars! Somewhere that the rich and the powerful of both America and Iran can freely invest and enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship, comes war or not between the two nations.