[concentric circles]

"...he didn't believe anyone in particular organized the counter-protest, which he called very spontaneous."

"I've never done this before in my life."

Good job, one and all.

I've waited nearly a week for them to get this online so I wouldn't need to use last Sunday's LA Times' story. Time in the desert just seems to stand still, wish I was there now.

[concentric circles]

Above, some Twentynine Palms residents created a
counter-demonstration to a peace vigil which was
organized Saturday afternoon on the sidewalk in front
of Stanley Park in Twentynine Palms.
(Trail photo by Kurt Schauppner)

[stylin19a]

i was stationed @ stumps for approx 6 mos. I loved the low desert. I'm trying to get back to the desert, but my wife wont have any of it.

I was just wondering what the actual head count was. Population is what, about 8,000 ?

[300winmag]

"It's all about oil."

I've heard that bit of cant a million times already, and expect to hear it a lot more.

Even if it was "all about oil", oil is the source of the only practical power for mobile machinery. Cars, trucks, jets, diesels, farm machinery, etc.. If oil didn't exist, all we'd have would be coal or wood-fired steam engines. Natural gas is in the same category as oil, so none of that, either. All our electricity would have to be generated by coal, or hydro. None of that nuclear stuff, either.

We'd have to live at a 1875-level of technology. If "allowed" to use only our own domestic oil, considering the restrictions they'd put on it, we might make it to the early 1920s.

"It's all about oil" is like saying "it's all about food". It's not the whole story, but it's a damn big part of it. If Saddam controlled a major portion of the world's food supply, would they still be willing to defend such a homicidal maniac?