Thu 9 Sep 2004
The debate over whether or not the USA should have gone to war in Iraq will rage for years. In my opinion GWB had no choice.
Disclaimer: this isn’t pro-Bush, anti-US or anything else. Nor is it comprehensive. It’s just my brief observations.
It goes back to before World War I: Winston Churchill was the top guy for the British Navy. He made a decision that changed how the world would work for years to come: He believed his engineers when they told him that they could get their ships to go faster if they were powered with oil instead of coal. Largely unproven as a naval fuel, Churchill took a big gamble, but it proved fruitful. The British Navy totally dominated against the slower coal fired Germans.
So it is now established that oil is the wonder fuel. The US automobile market is growing rapidly thanks to the efforts of Ford and others. America loves them.
World War II sees a different type of war. The mobility of the forces is paramount. Also fuel for the factories manufacturing everything needs to come from somewhere. Significantly, the inability of the Germans to retain oil fields led to fuel shortages and reduced their fighting effectiveness.
The Japanese, resource poor themselves also failed to hold their South-Asian conquests and the potential energy wealth.
The lesson was valuable: reduce your enemy’s access to energy while maintaining your own.
From the end of WWII till now there has been huge growth in energy demand. The US demand outstripped supply in the 70s. They have been maintaining stockpiles for decades (mainly for defence and essential services).
Unfortunately the large infrastructure for the manufacture and supply of oil products and oil fueled machines perpetuates this need. If nuclear energy had proved safer and less contentious it might be different.
So there we have it: The US needs oil for its security. Those that argue that the war is about security are right. Those that argue that the war is about oil are right. The US need to secure their energy suplies for their future security. It didn’t matter who was president; it would have happenned anyway. The US have slowly been condemning themself to this course of action because of their increasing energy demands.
One Response to “Energy is Security”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
September 9th, 2004 at 14:28
I agree that GWB may not have had much choice to invade Iraq. As a supposed democracy the United States foreign policy inevitably is driven by domestic consumers unwilling to give up large inefficient SUV’s and a culture of convenience.
Unfortunately the people of Iraq were/are unable to vote in the elections that change their lives/lifestyles and endanger them and thier family’s lives.
I also am not too sure that the Iraqi nation posed a direct threat to the security of United States citizens, they sure do now.
GWB’s choice to mislead his own people and the world as to the true reason for the invasion cannot instil much confidence in him and those around him.
The USA’s current and past plundering of natural resources for their own gain at great cost to others and the environment cannot and should not continue.
A global view must be seen as at least as important as their desire to dominate, destabilise and destroy all those they see as standing in the way of their freedom if there is to be equality and freedom for all.