Dang can of worms

[G Feller]

here

[Unregistered]

The Pentagon's actions are un-American.

My feelings are that we and our leaders should see these pictures and all others that reflect the truth, the true cost, the true toll in human lives and dollars, both Iraqi and American, 24 X 7 until it dawns on everyone that it is just not worth the price we're being asked to pay. The Iraq war is a big f-up based George Bush's lies, war pig greed, and just good old fashioned machismo stupidity. Look what a mess he and his administration have single-handledly gotten us into. It will take generations straigntening out this mess. Dubya, you're going home in January.

[632 Regal]

Damn!

[TheGeak]

I agree that showing the faces of the fallen troops is a bit across the line, out of respect for the dead and for their family. However, showing the flag draped caskets seems perfectly legitimate to me. Let the country and the world see what is being sacraficed for oil!

[mholbrook]

Sacrifices for the freedom of the Iraqi people. Potential freedom for the entire region depending on the success in Iraq.

If we want to have a war for oil, start right here at home with the proliferation of gas guzzling SUV's. Bush is not necessarily at fault. The American people are enablers because they continue to purchase these barges. They won't buy the economical cars and the SUV/truck purchases are outside of CAFE standards. Not only do they consume resources, they are not required to be as safe and since their bumper heights are all over the map, they are more dangerous to "normal" cars.

Pick your fight right here where you can do something to fight it.

Mike Holbrook
Spring Valley, CA

[Elekta]

Terrorism remains confident that America will be politically defeated though even here doubt grows, because America is also groping for a model of political warfare to use against its enemies. But maybe Osama is right. The Democratic Party continues to conflate one challenge with the other; to see in Iraq another Vietnam; and to offer up in Kerry not a John Kennedy but another Charles de Gaulle.

[Blake525i]

what is being sacraficed for oil!

If this is all about oil then why are gas prices at the level in which they are? Oh that is right, we went in to Iraq only to protect our own interest so that you can drive a gas guzzling M5 without paying $2 per gallon. Oh wait, gas is $2 per gallon so that must be the reason we went into Iraq

Blake

[TheGeak]

Iraq hasn't started pumping the volume of oil that they had hoped for yet. Also, it seems as if OPEC is going to keep jacking the rates up. We can't control OPEC (yet). However, once Iraq is fully 'liberated' then we can get a great deal of oil from them at rock bottom prices! If we get a lot of oil from Iraq at a deeply discounted rate, then OPEC can raise its rates all it would want and it would harldy make us flinch.

Also, when a country enters/continues a war the cost of many 'goods' usually rises. Why? because there is a need for those goods in the military, and the military gets first crack at it. Lower the supply, demand remains the same, prices go up. Its economics.

And just an FYI, i drive a MkII golf daily, which gets around 30-35mpg, i'd hardly call that 'gas guzzling'.

[Blake525i]

Iraq hasn't started pumping the volume of oil that they had hoped for yet. Also, it seems as if OPEC is going to keep jacking the rates up. We can't control OPEC (yet). However, once Iraq is fully 'liberated' then we can get a great deal of oil from them at rock bottom prices! If we get a lot of oil from Iraq at a deeply discounted rate, then OPEC can raise its rates all it would want and it would harldy make us flinch.

Also, when a country enters/continues a war the cost of many 'goods' usually rises. Why? because there is a need for those goods in the military, and the military gets first crack at it. Lower the supply, demand remains the same, prices go up. Its economics.

And just an FYI, i drive a MkII golf daily, which gets around 30-35mpg, i'd hardly call that 'gas guzzling'.

Wisdom comes with age. If you really think that having control of Iraq's oil supply will lower our prices then you are insane. Have you ever thought about how much oil exists off the shores of Louisiana? Or in Alaska? Or what we have in "reserves"? Why not just tap into those vast resources? Or "invade" a country with more oil as you are ensenuating. Yes, your economic principles are correct regarding supply and demand on a basic level. But are you saying that our involvement in Iraq has driven the price of gasoline up? I disagree, OPEC does not supply our military the gasoline that it needs 100%. If we relied on that it would be insane. Our military can be self sufficient when it comes to supplies in the short term. The supply for consumers has not been effected by the war, only by OPEC's decisions.

Blake

[TheGeak]

I an not saying that our involvement in Iraq has driven gas prices up. I'm saying OPEC raised prices on oil. Iraq is somewhere in the top 5 for oil controling countries. If we instate a 'US friendly' dictator in Iraq (democracy over there will be a joke) we can import much more oil from Iraq (as opposed to the 0 barrels that we got before the war) I don't think it is to keep prices low as much as it is to just have access to it. Bush is republican, republican is big business. The oil industry is big business. The oil industry could theoretically charge whatever they wanted to, and we'd pay it. However, if the oil industry can get its oil, say for $3 less a barrel, they will make that much more profit (by keeping gas prices at their current level). If you think that 'natural resources' have nothing to do with our invading iraq, then you're insane. I'm not saying its the only reason (finishing 'his dad's war' being another one that comes to mind) but it IS a reason i'm certain.

OPEC does not DIRECTLY supply our military with fossil fuels no. But OPEC contributes to the US's supply, and the military uses the US supply. I would not want to see America tap into its 'reserves' just to drop prices. I don't complain about gas prices, i know how lucky we are to have it so 'cheap'. I would like to think that the reserves are there in case something were to SERIOUSLY interrupt our oil supply we could cope for a while.