He tells about how Pro-OPEC and Anti-OPEC forces inside the Bush & Co. circle led to that clusterf*ck of a war and post-war ineptitude.

down several times before I blew gaskets.

It's like an insurance policy, a savings account. It's a good idea to "load up" when it can be had cheaply, and keep it stored as a contingency.

That said, if a corporation is in the business of helping OTHERS to get their oil out of the ground, it's a good bet for them to be helping others do just that. Ka-ching, ka-ching, and all that.

It costs a lot to get "crappy" oil to the customer--like shale oil, and some of the stuff in those older wells. Going to that form of oil depends on the price--if the price is high enough, it's worth it to get that stuff out of the ground. It's not such a bargain if the price of oil drops precipitously.

Then, too, there's the national security aspect. That's a separate issue and can override market forces.

As for leaving Iraq? We left Iraq when they refused to offer us a Status of Forces Agreement. These are standard when there's a "quid pro quo" happening--security in exchange for basing rights. That was a lucky break for us, IMO--we're well out of there.