A man named Cicil Rhodes coveted diamond encrusted land north of South Africa. So he went up there with a band of 500 mercenaries, financed by Rothschild & Sons, swindled the natives out of their land with 'mineral concessions ' made their own laws, claimed land for an independent nation, established an Anglo-Saxon government ruled by a corporation, the British South Africa Company, details.

He prohibited Dutch South Africans from moving in, founded a diamond company De Beers, which today markets 60% of the world's rough diamonds and at one time marketed 90%.

With the excuse of concern for Scottish missionaries trying to end the slave trade, it was made a self-governing colony, a British protectorate, declared so by the British Colonial Office. The Boer Wars were fought against the Dutch in South Africa and German and Portuguese land claims denied.

An apartheid, white-rule government declared independence in 1965 and ruled for 14 years. After 9 years of black nationalists war and resistance and blacks winning the right to vote, Robert Mugabe was elected Prime Minister.

Are things any different now?

The United States was also founded by British companies and the same deal was done by the British East India company in India; and the natives all treated in the same way, the money winding up in the pockets of the white man.

Most wars and conquests are like this, with lies, murder, assassinations, excuses, fights over limited or precious resources.

Can we make things better ?

One good proposal is to at least have nations, especially our own nation, at least have the honest to 'declare war.' It a major and important provision in the USA Constitution that this is how it should be done.

It's not suppose to be done by vaguely worded and deceptive 'defensive allocations.' It's not suppose to be done without debate on the real issues and real consequences; all with the pretense of improving the lives of the natives.

It's not suppose to be the will of corporations. Iraq is not suppose to be 'Exxon Land,' just like native African land should not become the private country of a corporate CEO.

Like private investment companies who make billions of speculations on Wall street are not suppose to be bailed out by the government when they lose money.

We have big challenges to change this.

A challenge for several generations, to overcome a war the Republican candidate for President says could go on for 100 years.

Old Games, New Games, Same Old Games

At age ten a City Parks Recreational Director encouraged me to enter a chess tournament at the park. I had never even played a single game before but he noticed me hovering around the practice boards trying to scope it out.

I came in second. I got a medal. I was hooked.

Now I play a real-time action/strategy war game called: Age of Empires (Deluxe Gold Edition).

In the beginning I wanted to outfit all my troops with upgraded equipment, best protection, best appearance, line up in fine formation and parade out to fight the foe in open fields of fair play.

My style of play has changed dramatically

Now I want to set up ambushes, only fight over resources (not in open, valueless fields). I send out special forces to disrupt the enemy's harvests and kill civilians. I launch small, hit and run sneak attacks. I value siege equipment more than men.

If my spies can find the king, I'll hunt him down to cut the game short.

If I play online I've discovered that others cheat, not only making secret deals of collusion and conquest (which is actually part of the game) but by using code words to give themselves unlimted power and resources.

Type in the phrase "robberbaron,' in the right text field, for example, and all the gold you want is yours.

The realities on the ground.

The realities in history, in the politics and wars of today are not much different that in the past.

I fear for Darfur when we come 'to help them.'

What is 'suppose to be,' right and or fair play is not what rules the day.

The computer game Age of Empires is more closer to the truth that chess or dreams of glory.

We have big challenges to change this.

The power of the vote is big. Voting for better leaders, year after year, election after election is critical.

Also Honesty is debating and declaring war (in accordance with the Constitution) is absolutely necesary. No more wars made in secret.

But we also need to see that our histories have been full of murder, lies and conspiracies. We can not have pretensions that we (or Western interests) are 'all good,' and that the horrors and difficulties of Iraq's power struggles or Zimbabwe power struggles and abuses are 'all evil.'

When diamonds have been used to fund African armed struggle they have been called 'blood diamonds,' and people told to not buy them.

But when diamonds were the incentive for robbery and rape of a nation we call them 'investment opportunities.

All with the backup and bailouts of governments.