Originally posted by kmac
Some may argue that the 1991 war in the gulf was entirely about oil. That's reason enough. To defend our economic interests abroad are incredibly important.
Oil is a necessary reason to go to war, however it's not a good reason. Because of loopholes in tax laws, businessmen are able to buy the biggest, gas guzzling SUVs and write off their entire costs in their tax statements. Car companies aren't encourage to make SUVs more fuel efficient because SUVs are exempted from the fuel economy standards cars have to meet. Domestic car companies are encouraged to sell SUVs because of the higher profit margin, having lost the battle for the best selling cars to the likes of the Honda Accord and Toyota Corolla. Regular citizens buy these vehicles despite their low fuel economy because the artifically low price of gasoline doesn't discourage them to do otherwise. The President asks us to defend our interests abroad when we have done nothing to defend are interests domestically. We are more dependent on Middle East oil now then twelve years ago during the first Gulf War. As a result, we have a higher profile in the Middle East than we should.
Now however, it is not our economic interests that matter. If the Iraqi government is a danger to the United States, then action is essential.
There's no evidence of this. He may threaten our economic and strategic interests in the Middle East, but no one outside the Bush administration will admit they know of any ties between the Iraqi government and Al Qaeda. And, the current administration hasn't produced any evidence that those ties are real. Would Saddam attack us outright either directly or through a terrorist proxy? That's debatable, certainly in my opinion unlikely since it would invite swift retaliation from America. There just isn't a good rationale for Saddam to do something like that.
There is a country that is a serious threat. It's North Korea. It's got chemical and biological weapons, possibly nuclear, along with a sizeable army that would shame Saddam. It's within shooting distance of two important allies, Japan and South Korea. There are 37,000 American troops who could be dead within minutes if the North Koreans chose to exercise that option. They've sold weapons technology (Scud missiles to Yemen, nuclear weapons tech to Pakistan, to name two) that are destabilizing the security of other regions of the world. Kim Jong Il (leader of North Korea) is so out of touch with the rest of the world community that he is frighteningly unpredictable. He's broken treaties signed in good faith with the USA. What's the President's answer to Mr. Kim: negotiation.
I still don't believe the Bush administration has made a good case for war. Economic reasons may be legit but highlights our dependence on oil and makes us look corpulent. Self defense is an even better reason, but the case still hasn't made that Saddam is a threat and when compared to our response to other, more legit threats (Iran, North Korea) makes our build-up in the Middle East look hypocritical.
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Mongol General: ...Conan, what is best in life?
Conan: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!
Mongol General: That is good.