General Discussion

Algernon Moncrieff

(5,781 posts) Fri Jun 13, 2014, 12:39 AM Jun 2014

At this point, what is our "National Interest" in Iraq?

Oil? I keep seeing ads showing that we're the #1 natural gas producer in the world. I see wind turbine blades rolling down the highway every day. Canada is begging us to build a pipeline.

Middle East stability? Only the Middle East can stabilize the Middle East. We can't do that for them.

Bulwark against Soviet Imperialism (yeah, I went there)? I think Putin likes Al Quaeda less than we do.

I feel for every family that lost a son, daughter, brother, sister, father, or mother in that stupid war. Brave Americans who died for nothing other than greed, a misguided vision of an American-imposed peace, and gross stupidity -- with a dash of revenge thrown in.

So I ask everyone here -- is there one good reason why we should send any member of our military to Iraq? Do we have a "national interest" there?

5 replies

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At this point, what is our "National Interest" in Iraq? (Original Post) Algernon Moncrieff Jun 2014 OP

Global capitalism subsumes national interest (security) under financial interest. Gravitycollapse Jun 2014 #1

Money pit ??? blkmusclmachine Jun 2014 #2

Only in the same way that Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Guatamala, Iran, Nicaragua, Tierra_y_Libertad Jun 2014 #3

Always being at war with Eastasia. FiveGoodMen Jun 2014 #4

They hate us for our freedoms JayhawkSD Jun 2014 #5

Gravitycollapse

(8,155 posts)

1. Global capitalism subsumes national interest (security) under financial interest.

Reply to Algernon Moncrieff (Original post)

Fri Jun 13, 2014, 12:45 AM

Jun 2014

As the Western capitalist venture expands into the world, so too does our national interest to the point that any destabilization in a population that MIGHT compromise US strategic financial interest becomes a matter of national security.

This is not about the Iraqi people. It never has been about the Iraqi people. It always has been and will always be about securing our own financial interests.

We couch this inside of a concern for the interests of the Iraqi state. Which is true in the sense that the stability of the Iraqi state, or at least the stability of the state as being just capable enough to resist defeat, insures our own financial prosperity.

blkmusclmachine

(16,149 posts)

2. Money pit ???

Reply to Algernon Moncrieff (Original post)

Fri Jun 13, 2014, 01:12 AM

Jun 2014

Tierra_y_Libertad

(50,414 posts)

3. Only in the same way that Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Guatamala, Iran, Nicaragua,

Reply to Algernon Moncrieff (Original post)

Fri Jun 13, 2014, 01:18 AM

Jun 2014

Grenada, Haiti, Congo, and a whole slew of other countries we so generously "helped" into bloodshed, civil war, torture, assassinations, starvation, and other improvements were.

FiveGoodMen

(20,018 posts)

4. Always being at war with Eastasia.

Reply to Algernon Moncrieff (Original post)

Fri Jun 13, 2014, 01:30 AM

Jun 2014

JayhawkSD

(3,163 posts)

5. They hate us for our freedoms

Reply to Algernon Moncrieff (Original post)

Fri Jun 13, 2014, 01:48 AM

Jun 2014

And so we have to fight wars to defend our freedoms, because if we lost our freedoms they would be hating us for no valid reason. Oh, wait, that didn't work very well. It's something about freedome, anyway.

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