LTR to Duckworth, Iraq War vet running for Henry Hyde's seat

I want to support Democrats for Congress in 2006, so we can return to a New Deal consensus on domestic policy, the normal functioning of Constitional checks and balances, and accurate and open public debate about government policies.

I am concerned though, that many of the Democrats being recruited for Congressional races, like those already serving, are not that far from their republican colleagues on foreign policy. Specifically, they seem willing to use our military, intelligence services, and economic and diplomatic coercion to take control of other countries oil and other natural resources.

The terrorist attacks on 9/11 has been used as an umbrella excuse to continue to pursue this policy even though it creates far more terrorists than it kills.

The current oil situation means the pressure on Congress to support more wars like Iraq will be intense.

The world's oil supply has either peaked or is about to, and as it declines, the Middle East will be the last region sucked dry. Those who supported the war thought controlling that oil was important for continued US access and our national security as Colin Powell's chief of staff Col. Wilkerson recently said.

Wilkerson:
http://professorsmartass.blogspot.com/2005/11/powell-aide-says-war-about-oil-so-we.html

Peak oil & Iraq articles:
http://www.mymethow.com/~joereid/oil_coup.html


Neocons have gone further and said that being in control of the oil spigot gives us an effective veto over the growth of other countries including potential rivals like China.

Oil companies probably wanted Iraq's oil for crasser reasons: stocks are low elsewhere so they need the product, and Iraq's oil will grow exponentially in value as other countries oil reserves dry up. Recent price gouging by oil companies shows how much they care about the rest of us.

Background on oil company machinations regarding Iraq:

http://www.gregpalast.com/iraqmeetingstimeline.html

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/oil/2005/crudedesigns.htm

Restructuring Iraq's oil during a military occupation to favor our oil companies is probably a war crime.

http://www.harpers.org/BaghdadYearZero.html

The Hague Convention of 1907 (IV) see articles 47, 53, 55
http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/FULL/195?OpenDocument

The Geneva Convention of 1949 (IV) we've broken almost every section of article 147, and Bush has personally broken article 148.
http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/FULL/380?OpenDocument

We cannot break such fundamental, long-standing treaties such as these and then complain when other countries violate the treaties we like.

What is happening in Iraq, and Congress will be pressured to do in Iran, Venezuela, and eventually redo in Saudi Arabia, is a business principle called "externalizing costs" or "socialize risks and privatize profits," in other words, we as a society invest our reputation, tax dollars, and soldiers lives, and oil companies and other contractors collect the profits.

As we saw after Hurricane Katrina, with their price gouging, oil companies are not inclined to repay the favor in any way.

Almost as bad, the influence of oil companies money has prevented us from preparing for declining oil supplies, so again, oil companies will profit at the expense of the rest of us.

My questions for you:

• Do you support using our military, intelligence, diplomatic and economic might to seize control of other countries' natural resources, especially oil?
  
  
• Will you do anything to reduce the stranglehold oil and other corporations have on our foreign policy, to the detriment of our reputation in the world and other countries democratic aspirations?
  

Your response or lack thereof will be posted to my blog and various discussion boards, and will likely influence whether others across the country support your candidacy.

I served briefly in the military myself, and strongly believe that in addition to keeping our promises for medical care and other benefits after they serve, the greatest responsibility we owe our military is that they are only used when America is really threatened, not when some oil company or sweatshop or plantation owner makes a phone call to his senator.

I don't want someone else like you to lose their legs so that ExxonMobil can profit from every last drop of oil pumped in the world.