[Peace-discuss] Slavery and oil

[John W.]

At 01:31 PM 3/15/2007, Bob Illyes wrote:

>Chuck and Ron have done a good job of covering the complexities
>of the motivations that led to the Civil War. One of the first
>things you (usually) learn when you take history in college is
>that the notion that the Civil War was principally about slavery
>is a myth. Zinn puts it well in Chuck's quote.
>
>Much of America's commonly accepted history is actually a myth, and
>one that Zinn has done much to debunk (if you haven't read his
>People's History, I highly recommend it). Although I respect America
>greatly, we are not anywhere nearly as noble as most Americans
>believe.

True.  With the exception of those of us on this list.  :-P


>One of my favorite Bertrand Russell quotes is "any given proposition
>is either true, false, or nonsense." It is the nonsense we need to
>beware of, because it is the most dangerous. For example, the
>proposition that if a particular factor that led to a war were absent,
>and the war were then prevented, then that factor is the cause of the
>war. This is rather like saying that if you remove someone's liver
>and they cease living, then the liver is the cause of life.
>Nonsense, of course.

Ummmm...what if you said that the liver is "essential" to life?  Still 
nonsense?


>Ron listed a several other factors leading to the invasion of Iraq.
>Let me add a couple more. The "free" market folks thought that Iraq
>government properties could be acquired at fire-sale prices, as
>happened in East Germany when the wall came down. This these ill-advised
>folks saw as good. US oil companies would benefit by the destruction
>of the middle East oil fields, because the price of their oil would
>go through the roof. But most importantly, in my opinion, is the
>defense-industry profiteers desire for perpetual war. Perhaps you
>notice that greed is at work in all of these? If you thought
>greed was not as serious a sin as murder, think again. It's a chick-
>and-egg problem.

Could greed then be said to be THE "cause" of war?  Or A "cause" of 
war?  Or would that be nonsense?


>During the Vietnam war, I met an occasional "lifer" soldier who was
>happy with the war because it led to more frequent promotions. I
>couldn't believe my ears. Greed is sick stuff. Killing to get a raise?
>
>Sorry to have missed today's demonstration. I'm running a fever and
>staying in doors.
>
>Bob