The Scoop: Motive for murder — A $52 gasoline bill
For whatever reason, the government has decided to engrave “Operation Iraqi Freedom” on the tombstones of U.S. soldiers recently killed in the war. And, as you’d expect, some families are mad.
I can see why. I wouldn’t want the White House’s catchphrase on the tombstone of one of my family members. The nifty public relations hoopla is no longer necessary for families coping with the loss of a loved one.
I think the government should call this war what it really is: Operation Iraqi Oil. The only problem, as we can all see at the pumps, is the operation is a complete failure.
Hard-core Republicans will argue we are in the process of bringing democracy to the people of Iraq. I’ll argue we wouldn’t have wasted the cost of a bullet invading Iraq if it wasn’t for oil, glorious oil.
But the invasion has been useless. In fact gas prices have climbed so high, an Alabama convenience store owner was killed a week ago when he tried to stop a driver from leaving without paying for $52 worth of gas. The store owner grabbed onto the side of the vehicle and was dragged across the parking lot before falling to the pavement and getting run over by the back wheels of a SUV.
Yes folks, gas prices have climbed so high people would actually commit murder to drive off with a full tank of gas.
So what’s the answer to our oil/ gasoline problem? It sure isn’t to listen to so-called preacher Pat Robertson, who said on Monday’s broadcast of “The 700 Club” the United States should assassinate Venezuela president Hugo Chavez. Robertson said America should “take out” Chavez because of ongoing turmoil between Venezuela and the U.S.
I bring this up because, surprise, Venezuela just so happens to be a major supplier of U.S. oil. Is anyone noticing a recurring theme?
Venezuela is America’s No. 4 supplier of foreign oil, providing us with roughly 10 percent of our oil needs. Now I should stress the views of Pat Robertson in no way reflect the views of the Bush administration.
Said your friend and mine, Donald Rumsfeld, referring to the proposed assassination, “Our department doesn’t do that kind of thing. It’s against the law.”
Good point. And considering this administration’s track record with feisty presidents who rule oil-producing nations, I’m confident an attack against Chavez and Venezuela is absolutely absurd.
What’s equally absurd is the painful fact our nation’s leaders are doing little to ease our dependence on foreign oil. As long as we’re going to rely on Iraq or Venezuela or Saudi Arabia for our oil, we’re sending out an invitation for trouble.
That invitation says something like this: “We’re the United States and we’re not smart enough to figure out how to develop an alternative source of fuel. Therefore we’ll pay known terrorists billions of dollars a year for their oil then wonder how they have the resources to attack us.”
There are viable alternatives: There’s biodiesel, a clear-burning fuel that can be produced from soybeans. In fact, there will soon be a biodiesel refinery in Warren County.
Hybrid cars that supplement gas use with rechargeable battery power and get mega fuel mileage are gaining popularity. But these vehicles are hardly in mass production.
And it’s been proposed by the White House that automakers abide by more efficient fuel regulations, although those regulations aren’t a drastic improvement and they wouldn’t go into effect until 2011.
Our current policy of using, or threatening, deadly force against oil-producing nations is not working. Gas station owners are getting run over. A self-proclaimed preacher is encouraging murder. U.S. soldiers are dying on an almost daily basis in Iraq. Our energy “solutions” are not working.
(James Clark is editor of the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at [email protected].)