What's wrong with the war being 'All about the oil'?

Question

Our economy runs on oil. My job and YOUR job depends on oil. Oil is a vital American interest. Heck, Oil is a vital interest of EVERY nation on the planet. Seems to me, a war 'all about the oil' is a very good reason to HAVE a war!

Don't get me wrong, I don't like war any more than anyone else does. But if you believe a nation has a right to defend its well being and protect its vital interests, Oil wars seem inevitable. Tell me how I'm wrong. (or right - in either case make a strong logical argument)

Answer 1

Well first of all I don't think we went to war for oil. I do, think, however, that protecting our oil interests in the gulf was certainly an underlying consideration. Yet the primary concern was his weapons programs, which many countries thought he had maintained intact since the last Iraq War.

Having said that, you are right in the sense that our economy needs oil to survive. (I am a HUGE proponent of alternate energy sources but for various reasons we're not quite there yet.) So certainly you could make the argument that a war for oil would be necessary.

Of course, if we were to go war to get oil, it wouldn't be against Canada or Australia. It would be against a country like Saudi Arabia which spreads radical Islam all over the world. So its not exactly like they'd be on the side of the angels.

But it should be noted that we're not going to war for oil anytime soon just because it isn't necessary.

Answer 2

That is right, OIL is vital to America, but I don't believe war is justified for oil interest. I can't believe you feel it's alright that innocent blood was shed to give Americans gallons of gas & oil to fill up their BIG gas gusslers? Tell a wife or children of a died soldier, "Thank You", for shedding his/her blood so you and your family can go on a Disney Trip. President Bush did admit that Americans are addicted with gas and he will do anything to get IT for you and that is why we need to stay in Iraq or anywhere in that region. If PEOPLE don't cut down from less than 2 cars per family/smaller cars and find other ways to commutte; I guess you are right. OIL wars are inevitable. SHAME on US for believing that oil is more valuable than BLOOD. GOD BLESS! AMEN! SHALOM!

Answer 3

Thanks for an honest question that reflects an honest position.

What's wrong with the Iraq war being about oil? Nothing from a completely immoral basis.

If the U.S. is prepared and willing to be seen and treated as a rogue state that has no moral integrity, as a nation that cannot be trusted to tell the truth or to deal fairly with other nations... then it should have Iraq's oil.

But it will amount to 30 pieces of silver, because in the end America will lose it's soul, and everything else.

Answer 4

Everything! We are supposed to gradually reduce our oil dependence. Why do we need all this oil? This is not a valid reason for sending our soldiers on the battlefront. I agree with the war, if it's for a valid reason. I don't believe that it's just for oil. And by the way, I am not a lib.

Answer 5

Iraq was already exporting oil to us, bush and cohorts got greedy and wanted it all, America has oil if it were needed, now that we are occupying Iraq bush and cohorts are getting rich and gas prices keep going up!
And then there is the biggest wrong of all Our president should NEVER put our armed forces in harms way unless it is absolutely necessary to protect American soil! If this war were about stopping terrorist we would have gone to where the terrorist actually are!

Answer 6

For a fraction of the money we've spent killing Iraqis and young Americans, destroying Iraq, destroying our reputation as leader of the free world, etc., etc., etc., we could have sufficiently developed alternative energy sources . . . solar, wind, water, etc. and and made our oil usage more efficient - - bio-diesel, diesel hybrids, etc., that we would not NEED to import oil from nations such as Iraq!
So . . . we had a choice of spending our tax dollars on development and world leadership . . . or killing and destruction. And we chose and will be living with the consequences of this administrations treason and crimes against humanity for generations.

Answer 7

The war was based on a lie. That is what people object to and not only that people are being killed because of it. I don't understand how the CEO of Halliburton and Exxon can live with the blood of american soldiers on their conscience and for that matter Bush and Cheney. They sold us a story about terrorism, assassinated Saddam Hussein and now they are admitting that they want to be imperialists. It's not right. It's that plain and that simple. Why should we be allowed to take what we want? Nobody else in the world can do that.

Answer 8

I can't argue that with you. I've been saying that all along. thanks. Some people just don't get it. I'm a realist, and crude is undeniably a strategic resource that any and all countries have an interest in. We learned this in WWI and WWII. It would be a mistake to ignore this fact.

Do we want our enemies to have such a strategic resource dangling over our heads? I don't think so. Was the war about oil? I don't think so. Are we stealing their oil. No! We are simply making sure that our supplies aren't interrupted. We don't want to steal it, we want to buy it. Saddam was stealing it from his own people.

Bottom line, oil was not the reason we went to Iraq, but it is a bonus! If you want to know why we're in Iraq, just read the Iraq Liberation Act. Notice that CONGRESS passed the act 360-38 under Bill Clinton. http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/Legislation/ILA.htm So I don't want to hear this crap about Bush is in Iraq to steal their oil. Because nothing in that statement is true. I think Bush&co finds it laughable that they would ever NEED to defend such a statement.

Answer 9

So you don't believe in the rule of law, just the strong wipe out the weak. Well if the weak decide to hijack airliners and knock down buildings in self defence do you agree with that being legal as well???
Some how I doubt it.

Answer 10

Hmm...well, for starters, that's my tax dollars and American lives being used to get that oil. So if the war is for oil, and we are paying for it...then why should oil companies get to keep the profits?