The US klepto-class, typified by that weaselly christian crusader chieftain of Blackwater, are taking it all.  

These other nations direct their resources in more positive directions.  Here it is dissipated into multi-national corporate war for the enrichment of the klepto-class.

They think thievery, torture, and murder are their sacred duties as crusaders.

It might be difficult to wrest the direction on all these issues from their hands.  They are quality of life issues, real standard of living of real people, energy is at the heart of it all.

Go to war over energy, then the extra political and financial capital needed to fix everything goes missing (like that 11 billion in $100 bills that dissappeared into Iraq on C-130s).  That's why energy policy is important.

Without a healthy, motivated, educated workforce where will the war mongers manufacture their latest war machinery, who will they get to operate it?  I guess Blackwater will have to hire help from the countries that don't go along with invasion, occupation, and nation building as just another step in the oil bidness.

Walmart will have to open up a military procurement department.  Missles and land mines, aisle 23.