Are you one of those people who believe Bush went in to Iraq for the oil?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

"I'm not one of those people who cynically believes Bush went in (to Iraq) only for the oil"

Discuss who "those people" are, and the speaker's likely opinion of them.

(for bonus points, identify the speaker)
_____________________

On edit, since somebody won the bonus points: The point is not whether this candidate is right or wrong about the oil in specific. The point is that this habit of building himself up by disrespectfully juxtaposing himself against that hi-larious ole' nutsy left is annoying and probably rather revealing. I don't expect any (viable) candidate to embrace the net-roots point of view, but why constantly disparage it? Just say what you believe without disrespecting the base in the processs.

[Yael]

1. I think he went in because PNAC told him to.

Follow the money. Its all about the oil.

[mtnsnake]

2. For oil and huge corporate contracts for his bosses. nt

[seemslikeadream]

3. Bases

PERMANENT MILITARY BASES

[Catshrink]

4. I think he went so he could call himself a "War President"

and get all the glory that comes with that. He wanted to go down in history as a great president, a hero, a Reagenesque god. Guess that didn't work out so well for him: Worst. President. Ever.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

5. For oil and because he's a Repugnican (a fascist, that is)

Repugnicans come in two styles: sociopathically evil and mentally ill evil. They don't do things to help people. They do the opposite. As for Bush, he's a combination of evil AND low I.Q. He knows he likes doing evil, but doesn't know how to plan it himself, so he follows the orders of evil people more intelligent than him.

[sam sarrha]

6. he did what he was told to do by cheney,.. invade iraq to raise the price of oil, then steal it from

iraq

[sweetladybug]

7. I believe he into Iraq (mostly) for oil.

But also I think he wanted to be able to thump his chest and say "I'm a war President" "I'm the Decider" He is the sorriest piece of crap that has ever resided in the White House.

[Esra Star]

8. No, he went in for the brussells sprouts. nt

[babylonsister]

9. Yes. I am one of 'those people'. nt

[napi21]

10. He went in for oil alright, but not what you think. Saddam was threatening

to pump MORE oil and that would have depressed the oil prices by flooding the market. Shrub and his Saudi buds couldn't let that happen! Shut down Iraqi oil and you create a false but believable shortage and the PPB goes sky high!

Then there's the profit for the military industrial complex! There hasn't been a decent war for a long time, and the stock prices & earning of those guys weren't doing very well. Shrub fixed that for them quite well, huh?

I also think there's is a third reason. He and the Pubs in general are power hungry. Territory is POWER! If he gained control of Iraq, then advance to Syria, Lebanon, Iran....that old "one World Order" sure would be working!

[stillcool]

11. I can not identify the speaker...

but I am so proud of my reading comprehension. I'm sure 'those people' are the lunatic fringe, conspiracy crazed..commie pinko...etc., etc., and the speaker does not hold 'those people' in high regard. I would guess Hillary.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

17. Good guess, but it's different politician. Hint:

He has a habit of showing how reasonable he is by gratuitously insulting the left, usually by setting himself in rhetorical opposition to straw man Fox-news style caricatures of the left.

(It's not Joe Lieberman)

[stillcool]

24. I read further down..

and got the answer..I never would have guessed...I guess he's playing to Peoria...or Kansas?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

25. It might be a useful strategy in the genral election, but it's pretty irritating in a primary

[stillcool]

29. it's irritating any time...

..but...the reasoning flows out of my mouth like somebody pulled a string in my back.

[AlinPA]

12. Rove made him "the war president"; they needed flags to wave for the election;

it was a slam dunk with the media push, imbedded "reporters" and shock and awe. Mission was accomplished. Now, Halliburton won't let them leave.

[rufus dog]

13. he went in for the oil and water

the bases are a necessity due to his invasion.

[Demeter]

14. I'd Hate To Think He Did It Just for the Hell of It!!

Oil would at least mean he had theft in mind.....if he has any mind functioning whatsoever....

[BootinUp]

15. I won't spoil your fun yet. nt

[kimmylavin]

16. It was Obama.

And I'm one of those people...
Call me a cynic. :)

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

18. **ding ding** You are a loony leftist, and win the L00nEy LefTy prize of the day!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3707823

[BootinUp]

23. kimmy is sounding ***shrill*** too. lol.

[kimmylavin]

32. Shrill and proud of it? :)

"Shrill"?
I cannot believe they used that word!

[kimmylavin]

31. Yay me! :) n/t

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

33. Congratulations, you loony lefty. You win dinner with Shirley MacLaine... on Mars!

[MadMaddie]

19. Honestly I think he went in to revenge his father.

He is a simple minded man...I think the Oil was secondary....I think he did it because he could.

[cuke]

20. Yes and no

If there were no oil in the mid east, we'd care about the area about as much as we care about Rwanda. However, I think it was about more than just stealing Iraq's oil

[balantz]

21. Bush took us there for ALL the wrong reasons,

domination of world oil supplies being one of those.

[RebelSansCause]

22. of course i am one

of 'those people'. i mean arent those people the types who listen and care and do not take what the MSM says to heart. i analyze issues for myself, i do not believe things solely because people tell me to. hence i am an non-religious cynic and i am either one of the sanest persons you have ever met, or not.

[Bitwit1234]

26. Yes and that's why he and cheney have their eye on Iran

[LWolf]

27. Yes. For oil, and for other PNAC priorities. n/t

[RDANGELO]

28. It was the big gamble

that was supposed to solve all our problems in the Middle East which are centered on oil. All the functions of our economy and society are predicated on cheap oil.

[calteacherguy]

30. No, but there are a lot of them here on DU. nt

[jillan]

34. Do you have the link to where Obama said it?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

35. This is a good article (particularly when read along with the Tom Hayden letter)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3707823

____________

Hayden letter

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2248793&mesg_id=2248793

[Lucinda]

36. I tried to do a web search for it...Couldn't find it, but he uses the phrase

"I'm not one of those people" a lot. :)

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

37. As quoted ...

As quoted in the piece I took it from, it was

"not one of those people who cynically believes Bush went in only for the oil"

[Lucinda]

38. Thanks. I saw it after I posted my response. Had the widow up while I searched

and didn't see your post until my reply went through.
Glad I searched anyway, it was interesting to see the instances Obama has used the phrase.

[ginchinchili]

39. I think that's part of the equasion, but he wouldn't have if that was it alone.

[CK_John]

40. IMO, Bush went along with the assessment that without a central base, China and Indian

would control and use all the oil produced in the ME. They picked Iraq because of its geographical position right in the middle of all the oil producers and supply lines. They used Saddam as a cover story and convinced Bush he would be doing the world and Iraq a favor. Bush is not a deep thinker and gave the go ahead.

Cheney was the master planner because they realize that Saudi oil is nowhere near their published production and China and Indian usage has cut our share of the total supply from 20 yrs to 10 yrs at best.

So even if we get out, it doesn't change the fact we are running out of oil.
I also believe that if we force their hand, they will go public with the true oil supply estimated and wreck the world economic systems. Sending us into a worldwide depression.

What do we do about that?

[LeftishBrit]

41. I think the oil was one major crucial reason - he wouldn't have invaded a state with no oil

General imperialistic sentiment, and a wish to shine as a War President and show Saddam that his penis was bigger than his daddy's, probably also played a role. Not to mention being possessed by the Devil (Cheney) who was probably influenced by the likes of Halliburton.

[DrFunkenstein]

42. Like Obama, I Think He Went In For a Variety of Reasons

It is not a coincidence that the key neo-cons behind the invasion are hugely pro-Israel. And let's not forget that Saddam once tried to attack his daddy.

As for Obama, I'd rather him bring in moderate conservatives by humbling rhetoric than years of triangulating POLICIES. (sorry for the abusive use of caps)

The Clinton years were defined by "third way" politics that helped conservatives define "liberalism" as a dirty word, while making the party virtually indistinguishable by opening us wide open to corporate influence.

When Obama hires Dick Morris, then I'll start to worry.

[applegrove]

43. Oil was one of many reasons.

[Lil Missy]

44. Absolutely!

[riqster]

45. I'd say Money

The MIC can earn money through multiple revenue streams.

[harun]

46. It's the wrong question

The question is not "was it for the oil?" because that leads one to believe B*sh did it to get his hands on the oil. That is not at all why he did it. He did it so no one else in the region, including the Iraqi's got their hands on the MONEY that oil produced. B*sh could care less about getting cheap oil, that works against the people who got him in office, big oil. He wants it to be expensive and to simply keep control of Iraq so no one else gets all that money. If that money ends up going to a bunch of American contractors who just blow it, lose it, embezzle it or give it to their shareholders again he could care less, as long as it doesn't go to anyone in the region.

There are other reasons as well but the simple question of it being for the oil I think should be explained as above. With Iraq a mess it will seethe oil money right back in to the sand, it will need the U.S. to occupy it to keep it organized, and no group will rise up with those petro dollars to be a power in the region.

[Blue_In_AK]

47. Naomi Klein says he went into Iraq

to establish a Friedmanesque privatized free-market economy in the Middle East -- the last region of the world not to have succumbed to "Neoliberal" economics. They thought Iraq would be the easiest government to destroy since everybody hated Saddam anyway.

"Shock Doctrine" says it all.