Define Conservatives vs. Liberals

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Not about oil? 

It's hard to follow the logic of the letter to the editor posted below. The reason gasoline isn't cheaper is because:

1. We're too incompetent to get Iraq's oil production up to a normal capacity.

2. Bush has put no pressure on his friends in Saudi Arabia to increase production. In fact, he waived sactions this week on Saudi Arabia, deciding they don't need to address their sex trade issues.

3. Disturbances in oil production always raise the price of oil. Does a disturbance in Middle East oil increase the cost of extracting and refining oil in Texas? Guess who profits from this scenario?

4. Apparently, the writer has moved on to Bush's 5th or 6th talking point justifying the invasion. It's no longer about WMDs, front line of the war on terror, bringing democracy to the Middle East, avenging the attempted murder of Bush's father, or protecting Iraq's oil fields. Now it's about, "inviting an underprivileged child into the world community." Wow. I wonder why Bush didn't use that as the initial justification to Congress? They would have gone for that, right?

5. How morbid to use a death count as a comparison between two wars. I believe the comparisons to Vietnam are generally built upon parallels such as the sketchy justification for entering the war, the gradual escalation without formally declaring war, the rosy description of progress from DC while we hear the latest body count on TV every night, dwindling support from the international community, and the lack of a well-defined success goal.

Sounds like a 100% FOX News consumer to me.

Letters from readers: "Not about oil

When the war in Iraq began, there were activists in Alexandria who protested U.S. involvement by toting signs that read 'No War For Oil.' If this were a war for oil, why is gasoline over $2 per gallon? We are not colonizing Iraq to keep it for ourselves; we are inviting an underprivileged child into the world community. Someday Iraq will be a very productive member of the global economy, and our involvement there ensures that.

For those who think that this is another Vietnam, remember that during the eight years that we were involved there, there were more than 58,000 American fatalities, compared with the 1,914 who have died in Iraq.

Yes, there's still work to be done, and it would be irresponsible to bring this child into the world and leave it alone.

Duke Trana, Alexandria, Minn."