Russian attack on country of Georgia

[Griff]

In this thread it is playing out as "anything challenging my world view." Do you really believe that oil had nothing to do with our invasion of Iraq? I can understand if you believe it is less important than other factors but nothing is just nuts.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Griff

In this thread it is playing out as "anything challenging my world view." Do you really believe that oil had nothing to do with our invasion of Iraq? I can understand if you believe it is less important than other factors but nothing is just nuts.

I believe it may have been a very small tiny factor in that terror states like Iran have the ability to disrupt the flow of oil out of the region. But that is about it. Now if you would like to show me how much more low cost oil we have gotten from the region since the war, I would be glad to believe that it was a larger factor. Since oil is at an all time high along with gas prices I am betting that theory doesn't hold water or oil.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Now if you would like to show me how much more low cost oil we have gotten from the region since the war, I would be glad to believe that it was a larger factor.

Ah, this is where we are not communicating. The price for oil is set by the market. We're only trying to maintain a stable supply not set prices. At the beginning of this conflict, I knew folks who really thought cheap oil was going to pay for the war, but they were just war supporters looking for benefits. I don't remember any of the anti-war crowd claiming a beneficial drop in oil prices. I believe prices are high because demand is high and oil resources are limited. Protecting, which I claim is a subsidy, the diminishing supply of easy oil is more politically acceptable to GOP politicians than subsidies for alternative energy. This is probably because Republican politicians have been able to claim other, nobler, reasons for high concentations of American troops in unstable parts of the world.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Griff

Ah, this is where we are not communicating. The price for oil is set by the market. We're only trying to maintain a stable supply not set prices. At the beginning of this conflict, I knew folks who really thought cheap oil was going to pay for the war, but they were just war supporters looking for benefits. I don't remember any of the anti-war crowd claiming a beneficial drop in oil prices. I believe prices are high because demand is high and oil resources are limited. Protecting, which I claim is a subsidy, the diminishing supply of easy oil is more politically acceptable to GOP politicians than subsidies for alternative energy. This is probably because Republican politicians have been able to claim other, nobler, reasons for high concentations of American troops in unstable parts of the world.

I still don't buy that was a reason to go into Iraq.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I still don't buy that was a reason to go into Iraq.

If radical Islam ran through the region unchecked, it would disrupt the oil supply. Think of oil as a potential weapon in the terror war. This gives Bush a reason to attempt to institute a more democratic regime so that when Saddam falls he isn't replaced by Muhammed al Fluffer Nutter who would turn off the spiggot and support similar insurgencies in places like Saudi Arabia that actually grow people who attack us.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Griff

If radical Islam ran through the region unchecked, it would disrupt the oil supply. Think of oil as a potential weapon in the terror war. This gives Bush a reason to attempt to institute a more democratic regime so that when Saddam falls he isn't replaced by Muhammed al Fluffer Nutter who would turn off the spiggot and support similar insurgencies in places like Saudi Arabia that actually grow people who attack us.

Although I don't disagree with your assessment I disagree with the weight of it as a reason we went in.

[deadbeater]

Originally Posted by Griff

If radical Islam ran through the region unchecked, it would disrupt the oil supply. Think of oil as a potential weapon in the terror war. This gives Bush a reason to attempt to institute a more democratic regime so that when Saddam falls he isn't replaced by Muhammed al Fluffer Nutter who would turn off the spiggot and support similar insurgencies in places like Saudi Arabia that actually grow people who attack us.

In other words, it's a war for oil, and China's oil as well.