Reply #29: Several Points, Mr. M [View All]

Whatever many of us might feel about the proposition, "war for oil" is not a particularly unpopular thing among the people. It is not much spoken of openly, because it is considered unseemly to strip naked today the sort of things the old Victorians would reveal without a blush, but it is so obvious an underpinning that it may safely be assumed most people in the country understood this venture as aimed in part at securing them cheap gasoline, and that this accounted for a fair proportion of the support the venture enjoyed. Thus, denouncing "war for oil" would have very little useful impact on the electorate, many of whom would greet the charge with some version of "you say that like it's a bad thing."

Viewed as a war for oil, from the point of view of the people, the venture has not paid off very well, nor does it promise to pay off well anytime soon. Gasoline prices are higher, and going higher still. Iraqi oil remains off the market, as sabotage continues to prevent any signifigant export of the stuff. Nor is there any reason to believe that will change in the near future; indeed, there is a sufficient promise of further and increased turmoil in Iraq in coming months to lead most to suspect it will never change. This disappointed expectation the invasion would bring them some measureable benefit is one reason, though an unstated one, of course, for the declining public support for the occupation of Iraq among the people. A promising political line, in fact, would be a cry that "You didn't even get cheap gas out of this, guy! It just jacked the pump price for you!"

From the point of view of the oil industrialists behind the criminals of the '00 Coup, of course, this was the precise result desired. It takes a great deal of naivite to imagine a concentration of market power is ever used for any other purpose but to jack the price. The removal of any Iraqi oil from the world market, and the prospect of continued and increasing turmoil in the Persian Gulf, acts to support and even to raise the price of oil from the region, and from all other venues as well. This, too, opens a promising line for radical agitation, to drive home the great difference between the interests of the leading reactionaries, and the people they manage to secure mass voting strength from: "They didn't do this to get you cheap gas! They did it so they could jack the price on you! What you're paying now is just what they invaded the damn place for!"

"All the great secrets are open secrets known to all."

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"