I frequently hear people say that the Iraq war was an effort to steal the Iraqi oil. See, e.g., #202, supra. There’s more to it than just that.

As Greg Palast argues convincingly in Armed Madhouse, the oil companies make the most money when the price is highest for oil. One law that the Bushites has not been able to repeal is the law of supply and demand. When supply is low, price is high, all other things being equal. Thus, oil companies make the most money when supply is low. Therefore, from an oil companies perspective, the best thing that can happen is for oil to be kept off the market. Lo and behold, oil production in Iraq is now at a lower level than it was under Saddam.

The time will come when the U.S. oil companies will obtain control of the Iraq oil fields. But the war had a more immediate goal — to reduce supply, thereby increasing price of oil and profit of oil companies.

Thus, a suggestion that we leave the equipment and take the equivalent in OIL, since that’s what this is about anyway, (though not offered in total seriousness, I am sure) overlooks an important truth.

One additional point, an invasion and occupation the size of the one in Iraq uses more fuel than most European nations. That is paid for by the American taxpayer, gfyen at a premium 300-400% above the standard price.

That inflates the price of oil, both actually [because of the increased demand] and articially [due to the jacked up premium prices].

No wonder Cheney’s KBR/Halliburton buddies are making fortunes.

[Liberal Heart @ 226 - no one really knows what’s next for the Defense Authorization Bill; major strategizing and horse-trading by Reid, et al, will be ongoing now about the next steps to take. Yes, the Senate has now shut down for the evening, as normal. Harry Reid closing a news conference today: ‘So we have a lot of arrows left in our quiver. And the quiver is filled with the will of the American people.’]

The Republicans are not simply ‘protecting their president.’ Most Republicans are obeying the president’s orders to put political party before country, and before the well-being of the American Armed Forces. They are taking orders from Dick Cheney and George Bush and others outside the Congress, and abandoning their duties to the Legislative Branch in which they serve, by effectively merging their offices into the Executive Branch of government. They are, in short, openly spitting on our Constitution.

The speeches I saw yesterday and last night that resonated the most with me (in viewing order):

Chuck Hagel – firing on all cylinders, pulling no punches. ‘To what end?’ indeed.

Mary Landrieu – pointed and angry responses to Republican lies, passion, respect for Constitution and the role of Congress (but she needs to follow-up with her vote).

Tom Harkin – wow – what a presentation and what a delivery, and what letters from constituents back in Iowa. What are the Republicans afraid of? Dick Cheney and Big Oil, apparently.

Maria Cantwell – THE GRAND SLAM. Maria told America the WHOLE truth last night at 2:15 in the morning. About WHY the Iraqis haven’t passed the hydrocarbon privatization bill, and WHY the Republicans don’t want to pull our forces off the streets of Baghdad: because unless and until they can get the hands of their corporate pals on that Iraqi oil, they’re going to continue to fabricate every cover excuse in the book to avoid admitting the truth about their oil lust and attempted thievery of the sole natural resource of Iraq. Plunder, writ large.

Senator Cantwell’s speech said it all, and every Democrat should look it up in the Congressional Record, and take note. If it’s news to you, learn more. And then CONFRONT your Republican colleagues on the floor of the Senate – and ASK them: Are you trying to privatize Iraq’s oil for multinational American and British oil companies? [John McCain may in fact have admitted something to this effect in one of his appearances overnight, one commenter noted.] Have you read the hydrocarbon bill, and do you know how it would enable the pirating away of the oil wealth of the nation of Iraq to the benefit of corporations headed by friends of those who used our Armed Forces to violently invade the sovereign nation of Iraq? And is such a grossly immoral and unethical corporate-raider national “foreign policy” okay with you and your constituents (Thomas Jefferson be damned)?

do-si-do @ 19

Hey Redshift, how late were you up last night. The visual highlight for me was Senator Webb channeling Vic Morrow from Combat! boring a hole into Senator Thune, the poor man’s Mitt Romney, when Thune insinuated that Webb doesn’t know how troops think and feel about Iraq.

Webb: ex-cuse me?

All this at about 3 a.m. EST

That image is burned into my retina. Maybe we should let Webb and Bush settle this mano a mano, eh?

I’d pay to watch that on Pay-for-view.

And there was some point of order being made that Webb wasn’t asking a question and that Thune was reclaiming his time..
……sorry got interrupted….

OKK — Just for today, because I’m tired and I deserve a break, can you try a little “glass half full” instead of the “glass half empty” comments?

What have YOU got to be tired about Wuss? (I’m kidding! Sheesh)

TiredFed @ 179

no. that’s next. after the Defense Authorization bill, there will be the Defense Appropriations bill. that’s where Defense gets the money to spend (or not) on the occupation. Congress gave Bush enough to spend on Iraq through September (maybe a little more) in the Emergency Supplemental. So, “de-funding” can be resurrected.

And since the Republicans seem to have decided to block everything, I’m wondering if we’re looking a another government shutdown?

That didn’t work too well for the GOP last time, if it can be demonstrated that they’re the guilty party this time too, hmmm….

that’s a possibility. Harry is gonna have to channel Houdini to blame it entirely on Republicans. I’m gonna wait and see how this latest ploy works out. I, for one, am willing to stay home until they get Bush to back down.

selise @ 230

from reading the comments it sound like the answer is no – they’re “boiling water reactors”… so no chernobyl… maybe a TMI, though. at least that is my ignorant reading of the comments.

I agree with you. I think it bears keeping an eye on, not that we can do anything about it..

so this ain’t the breeder job. thank ghod for small favors….

OTOH, if they have to shut that puppy permanently due to the fault lines, electricity rationing may hit japan, with negative consequences to any remaining products manufactured there….unless they have reserve capacity i haven’t heard about…

Adie @141
Deal.

;->

no. that’s next. after the Defense Authorization bill, there will be the Defense Appropriations bill. that’s where Defense gets the money to spend (or not) on the occupation. Congress gave Bush enough to spend on Iraq through September (maybe a little more) in the Emergency Supplemental. So, “de-funding” can be resurrected.

And since the Republicans seem to have decided to block everything, I’m wondering if we’re looking a another government shutdown?

That didn’t work too well for the GOP last time, if it can be demonstrated that they’re the guilty party this time too, hmmm….