[Peace-discuss] 2004 Election, Iraq War, and Oil

[ndahlhei at uiuc.edu]

After watching the 2004 Democratic Convention the last 
two nights, I have grown greatly disappointed in the 
prospects of a really strong and clear alternative to Bush-
Cheney and their gang of neo-conservative radicals and their 
oil and pharmaceutical company backers.  We must look deeply 
at our political system and how these imperialist wars such 
as those involving Afghanistan and now also Iraq come into 
being.  While the person sitting in the Oval Office is 
important, the interests driving policy outside the direct 
confines of elected office are often the most important in 
my view of politics.  I propose a thesis that the driving 
force of these wars is not "terrorism", but rather the 
American drive for global empire as she steps into the post-
Cold War void to seize control of vital resources to secure 
the growth of American capitalism for the rich while 
impovershing the poor.  This occurrs in an age where 
numerous other state and non-state actors seek to redefine 
their spheres of influence and their own growing economies 
in the 21st century amidst the global reality of Peak Oil.  
The world oil production will likely peak within 10-15 years 
and then enter a period of terminal decline where real 
shortages and cataclysmic economic crises could become the 
backdrop to ever increasing global conflict.  9/11 and the 
subsequent U.S. invasions of Afghanistan (for the oil 
pipeline from the Caspian Sea to Pakistan) and Iraq for its 
oil signal the military solutions to looming oil shortages 
sought by the United States financial interests and carried 
out by their gang of 
war criminals, the Bush White House.  We must examine the 
impact of energy on the economy and society and look at the 
systemic issues behind the "War on Terror."  This election 
is very important for the people of this country, and we 
must remind our community in Champaign-Urbana as well as at 
the university of this election's importance, but we must 
also use this opportunity to work for change in our 
capitalist, materialistic, and now nearly militaristic 
society from the grassroots level.  The political and 
financial elites will not easily turn away from violence to 
justify their greed, but we can always change our lives and 
encourage a greater respect amongst the human family by 
living lives of stewardship of Mother Earth and non-
violence.  
                       Nick Dahlheim