If our National Security truly "depended" upon gaining more access to oil

[Toots]

Would the invasion and occupation of Iraq be warranted? Now while I don't believe for a moment that is the case, a great many Americans do believe it to be true. Is the National Security of America of more importance than the National Security of some mid-eastern country?

[madokie]

1. there is no way shape or form that the invasion of another country is right no matter who does it

or why they do it. it is wrong

[Deep13]

2. Do you remember the premise of the crime in Goldfinger?

The idea was not to steal from Fort Knox, but to irradiate the site to make the gold inaccessible. That way the price of gold for people who already had it would increase.

[malaise]

3. Your question

Is the National Security of America of more importance than the National Security of some mid-eastern country?

should be 'Is the US' unwillingness to stop wasting oil be worth the lives of thousands of citizens from other countries'. As you attempt to answer this, remember that every empire collapses and others may value the lives of Americans as much as Bushco and others value the lives of non-Americans.

Put simply, you might follow these wise words:
'What you do not want done to yourself, do not do unto others. — Confucius, Analects'.

[The2ndWheel]

4. You don't believe oil is a national security matter?

And obviously America's national security is more important than Iraq's. Which country is higher on the hierarchy? In 2007, if one of the two were to fall into a civil war, which one would impact global commerce?

[endarkenment]

5. We cannot just roam the planet siezing what we think we want

That would make us pirates.

[shain from kane]

6. Arrrr!

[datasuspect]

7. our model of life is predicated upon an unlimited supply of inexpensive oil

how sustainable would this country be if we had no access to the oil we are killing many people to get?

the suburbs would be ghost towns, huge big box retailers would sit dormant in retail greyfields, the poor, the middle class, and the rich would fight each other to have easy access to areas and cities with realistic public transit facilities and infrastructures.

the oil companies and automobile companies created a model of living that was never intended to be realistic. it was intended to maximize short term gains over the life times of the vested interests and the consequences we live with and will live with in the near future are the result of overfed, suit-wearing, white males and their disregard for anything except making the most amount of money in the least amount of time.

oil is a finite commodity.

in the rural east texas location i live, in 2000 you fill up a 4 cylinder ford focus car for about 13 dollars. it wasn't difficult to get a job paying $11/hour (non professional/low prestige).

it costs upwards of 40 dollars to fill that same tank and the prevailing wage is around $8/hour for these same types of jobs.

larger markets notwithstanding (which can be anamolous in terms of wage structures in comparison to small market america), there is a concerted effort to marginalize as many as people as possible and divest them from the economy in this country.

[paparush]

8. Poor Brown Folks will Always be Made to Suffer and Dies for Rich White Folks

And the RWF couldn't care less, cause it happens thousands of miles away, in a non-prime-time slot.