So do I. "Oil Politics", to be specific, about it. This is what it is all about - ousting Saddam, democracy to the Iraqi people, 'axis of evil' rhetorics etc etc etc etc...
No, I think it's bigger than that. Call it "National Security Politics" -- 9/11 proved that the US cannot afford to simply let the Mideast fester in its own failures. We have to try something to get things moving in a positive direction, and to prevent great evils that used to be unthinkable, but now exist in everybody's imagination.
I too doubt we can establish a democracy in Iraq, though we should try. But we definitely can establish a healthy fear of American power in the region, which has been sorely missing. If it had not been missing, then AQ would never have dared do what it did.
Oil might prove a side benefit, but makes no sense as a driving motive -- Bush and Cheney come from the oil states and the oil industry respectively; their backers would much prefer a sustained high price of oil, not a new supply coming onto the market and tanking the price. The few companies who benefit from developing the Iraqi supply will not make up for the regional woes of Louisiana and Texas, come next elections. |
