A Different Perspective On The War In Iraq

Sometimes seemingly unsolvable problems can be overcome if they are approached from a new perspective. I wonder if that may be the case in the problem of defining our place in the war in Iraq. If we do not know what our place is there is no way we can plan for and execute a rational withdrawal from that country.

George Bush seems to have alternatively looked at the war in Iraq as one of self protection, liberation, world improvement, and a woeful number of other poor perspectives. Many others of us, myself included, have seen it as a war of agression spured by immense profits to be made in war materials and oil. We see greed as underpinning of the war.

Neither view has resulted in a rational withdrawal from that country.

I suggest that the problem of withdrawal be approached with a different view. I suggest that we consider that the country is now in the throws of civil war, without meaningful Government at any level. We then newly find ourselves there in a peace-keeping mission. We could then return to the UN hat in hand and ask for (meaningful) assistance with this mission. We would offer two things, first that we would relinquish control of this peace keeping mission to UN authority and second that we would fund the majority of the cost of the mission, including the cost of troops from outher countrys - who would replace americans on the ground one for one.

The way I see it, we're there to stay. There will be a withdraw of our troops from Iraq, but they will be redeployed in the many new military bases being built throughout the region. Our government is being run by and for big oil. Big oil is not just Exxon. It's GM, Ford, their suppliers, the media, and all the firms that get their advertising dollar. We could reduce our dependency on oil, but it won't happen until these bastards have control of the next
"dependency driven" technology. When you look at how the hybrid vehicle has been attacked in the press and you realize the extent of the power these people bring to the table.

This policy is not only not in the best interests of the American consumer, it is resulting in the destruction of our environment and the loss of our manufacturing base. The policy is based on greed and power. The reluctance of the powerful to adopt technology that could result in the loss of their power is understood, but it is also self-defeating. America will not prosper protecting the status quo.

For example, GM and Ford could have produced the first hybrid vehicles, but there was a problem. These vehicles can be retrofitted to consume much less fuel. So our automobile manufacturers were discouraged from pursuing a technology that would result in the economic liberation of the people and instead tried to develop a hydrogen technology that would allow for an "orderly transition" to our next energy fix. Japan and Toyota ruined their plan and now GM and Ford are playing catch up.

As long as America continues to be held hostage by big oil, our fortunes will be squandered protecting the powerful few at the expense of our children's future.