[Proctor]

Most of us agree that the war on Iraq is for oil. If the real reason was to disarm dictators, it would be wise to start with Bush himself. Yes, I said dictators. Read Zeebo's <A HREF=http://www.daddymonkey.com/commentary/zebangry.html>The Theft of Democracy</a> for an explanation.

It is also agreed that innocent Iraqi civilians will die. Noone wants this. Least of all the Green party and other enviromentalists in the US. But they fail to realise that they can save them. You see the Greens are not only opposed to killing Iraqis for oil, but also to drilling for oil in Alaska. This is fair enough. Large oil pipelines would disrupt the migration of the caribou.

I see their point. Why damage an ecosystem just for oil? But what about for peoples lives? Are the holiday homes of the caribou more important than the real homes of civilians?

So the Greens make a simple concession. They point out to Bush that they are withdrawing their opposition to drilling in Alaska, which will bring a great prestige gain for them, proving that they DO put people first. Bush decides that Saddam is cooperating after all, which would be fitting with his public statements that war is the final option if diplomacy fails. He can say diplomacy has saved the day, and will lose his bully image. The leaders of the America's allies can also back down, and the public support they lost from supporting Bush will slowly recover. Those opposed to war won't have a crisis on their hands from entering the bad books of the most powerful man on Earth. There will be no public outcry in the Middle East spurring on further anti Americanism. And most importantly, no one has to die.

Following that, Chirac's proposal for dealing with Iraq can be implemented. Works out nicely for everyone.

[llegovski]

You don't realize the
a) ruthlessness of Bush's politics- I haven't seen him compromise at all. His world is GOOD vs EVIL!

and

b) his sheer stupidity. He is unpredictably stupid.

[Wilhelm]

It would work fine, with a president with the IQ of an adult. Unfotunately, Bush is stoooopid.

Also, the government knows that it can run over environmentalists and else no matter what. So the don't care if those guys back out from Alaska or not. They're still getting their way.

Woe upon the world, war has just begun!

[Proctor]

Yeah, but he knows when the good guys (him) are getting a good deal. And this seems like one of those times.

[Spetzjoe]

Actually, this war is more for show than for oil. Apparently the administration has decided that the American way of doing things is the only way and that anyone who opposes will be punished. This war is more to affirm American pre-eminence while seeing what the world's reaction will be.
The oil is merely a bonus.
As for the administration trying to use diplomacy, it's not going to happen. They've already spent too much money on moving the troops to back off now without getting something.

[The_Communist_Threat]

Bush's NEED for war is so blatant that it is impossible for any human being with half of a brain to see. Unfortunatey, most americans don't really have half of a brain so, they don't see how blatant it is.

One time Hans Blix came out and said Iraq was showing signs of cooperating more. And the same day Bush sad "Saddam is deceiving the world again."....it makes me sick to see bush and to see that americans will do little to stop it...protest are good and all, but in the end, they don't always accomplish a whole lot...

[redstar2000]

I agree with Spetzjoe about this. Bush and that part of the ruling class that he directly represents have clearly decided that a "demonstration" of the military power of the American Empire is "called for"...and if Iraq did not exist, some other hapless country would be the designated target.

It reminds one of the late 1930s and the Third Reich. Hitler was not simply lusting after the Sudetenland or Danzig...it's now known he wanted a war before he was "too old" to lead it. German generals told Hitler repeatedly that Germany would not be ready until 1946...Hitler didn't want to wait.

Bush wants a triumph(in the old Roman sense) before 2004...and only the most massive and determined world-wide opposition will stop him.

The situation is fluid. (That means I don't know what will happen any more than you do.)

[Papergut]

The main purpose of war is oil? No... If you think that all this oil is going to go to American oligarchy and Bushler's family, you are wrong... The most part of it will go to aid the falling economics, that is why the war is inevitable. When Bushler was introducing a new budget, he made a little mistake... budget deficit is going to be 100 billions more than predicted. American economics are falling too fast, and that is why Bushler cannot wait to invade Iraq...

Therefore, the whole thing is going to end with:

A) France, Russia, Germany and China reject American way of disarming Saddam and use their veto right, Bushler says:

"The French are a nation of evil baguette-eaters, the Russians are former communists, they drink vodka, dance with bears and have nukes so we can't trust them! The Germans conquered Europe five decades ago and the Chinese... um, they are commies and there is too many of them on the planet! These all evil nations have turned the UN into the terrorist organization so we are not going to listen to them!"

Then he invades Iraq, and the whole region turns into a big playground.

B) If the war isn?t finished soon, American economy collapses, another Great Depression happens, the whole world except North Korea falls into poverty (it?s too poor already ), Papergut celebrates another crisis of capitalism by opening another bottle of vodka while the ghost of communism starts walking Europe and North America.

[El Cid]

There is no reason for an Iraq war! Iraq was no threat to the US and wouldn't have been a threat in the near future. Surely the American Economy is in a crisis, but the best way to fix it is war? The military budget in america is over 370 billion dollars! It is more than obvious that they are saving on the wrong end.
And why would Bush stop the plans on attacking? He has to keep his "reputation" as the world's "police state" and that Saddam cannot break him down to the Bush that gave up.
Where is the proof that Saddam has connections to Al-Qaeda? They have nothing in their hands.

A more obvious opponent would be, in the eye's of the current american government, North Korea. They are building up military and are continuing a nuclear program. China is not communist anymore either, they are on their way to capitalism.

All missiles of Iraq have been destroyed, but now they are still offending Iraq for not telling them how many they had in the first place which is rediculous. There are none, therefore no "threat".
This whole war is a joke.