It’s the Oil and Revenge, Stupid

Revenge is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.
Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626), English philosopher

Supporters of the Iraq war to stop the country’s production of its weapons of mass destruction have continually discounted oil as a reason for going to war. The Misanthrope strongly believes the reasons were oil and revenge. In Monday, Nov. 29, 2004 Los Angeles Times, buried in the inside column on page four was the article “Iraq to Increase Its Oil Output.” The article points out that Iraq is the fifth-largest oil producer in the Middle East. Now why would the U.S. want Iraq’s oil? For starters, how about a daily consumption of more than 25 percent of the world’s oil that is consumed by a country that is only five percent of the world’s population. Let’s not forget China’s growing appetite for oil.

The Bush Administration does not want to control the oil; it just wants it on the free market. According to the LA Times article, some of the world’s largest oil companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch/Shell Group and ChevronTexaco Corp., are very interested in bidding to develop Iraq’s oil resources. Especially eager are Shell and Chevron offering free consulting services to help build stronger relationships that may lead to contracts

But, they can’t do it until the country’s elections are held and the official administration allows it. We certainly have a stake in who is elected. Even as the United States. invaded the country, according to the book by Rick Atkinson “In the Company of Soldiers,” the military named its air refueling points after major oil companies:

Exxon would be located near Nasariyah, in southern Iraq; Shell was to go southwest of Najaf. Conoco…would be built three hundred miles in to Iraq.

The U.S. could not possibly want the oil, right? Wrong. Let’s not forget that Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld’s previous dealings with Saddam Hussein. And, certainly one must not forget the threat to this president’s father. If there is no revenge involved, why does Bush have Hussein’s gun in the Oval office?