the global war for oil
Mercedes is an 19 year old student living at home and all she wants to talk about is the war on terror and the conflict in Iraq which, to her parents' dismay, is not helping her get good grades and get ahead in life.
The first question Mercedes asked everyone after 9/11 was 'why?' and although it was not given directly to her the answer ultimately came from Osama bin Laden himself.
"He once said that all terrorist acts would stop once America pulled out of the middle east and minded its own business," explains Mercedes.
"Clearly, by pushing into parts of the world where they are not wanted," adds Mercedes, "American business interests, and the military might that supports them, are inciting more hatred and exposing more and more innocent people to acts of terror."
"When neighbors get together to protest against an industrial development in their area," explains Mercedes, "they are often successful in thwarting the development, or having a say in modifying how the development takes place."
"If they are unsuccessful, they have the option to sell up and move on."
"What say do people in poor countries have when wealthy American business interests move into their area?"
"None, I'd imagine," says Mercedes, "and that's why these people have to resort to terrorist attacks. They don't have the option to sell up and move on like we do."
"It's like the situation in Northern Ireland and Israel, isn't it?" muses Mercedes.
"Faced with the might of the British armed forces the Irish wanting a united Ireland have no option but to resort to terror to get the Brits out of Northern Ireland."
"And having lost most of their country when Israel was created as a homeland for displaced Jews following WWII the Palestinians are in a similar situation," explains Mercedes.
"It seems to me that terrorist attacks are nothing more than acts of desperation made by people who are denied justice." says Mercedes, "and old style wars where one country openly fought another over a disputed territory or belief are just that -- old style."
"Terrorism seems to be the new style of warfare these days," remarks Mercedes, "and it's no longer nation against nation but little people fighting huge nations or corporations."
"I guess we've got far too many business interests in other parts of the world to pull out and become, once again, an isolationist nation, minding our own business," says Mercedes, "but I truly believe that ultimately we are going to be forced by unrelenting terrorist attacks to face the fact that we are responsible for what happens to us."
"I don't believe that terrorist acts committed by desperate people who rightly or wrongly believe that their rights have been trodden on by a big nation or corporate interests can be stamped out."
"Just think about it -- we use more oil than the rest of the world put together," sighs Mercedes. "The only reason we're interfering in the middle east and fighting in god-forsaken deserts is because that's where the oil is."
"If there were no oil in Iraq," says Mercedes, "we wouldn't be there."
"And if gazillions could not be made from reconstructing a country we have bombed to pieces we wouldn't have done it."
"I am deeply concerned that at soon as we invaded Iraq we headed straight for the oil fields and as soon as the bombing of cities started the tenders went out for rebuilding them," sighs Mercedes. "Doesn't that indicate quite clearly what the war is all about?"
"The war in Afghanistan was a just war for just reasons," adds Mercedes. "There was no money to be made from it and I suppose that's why we didn't go after Osama and the al-Qaeda network when we had routed them."
"There was no money to be made from pursuing Osama and the al-Qaeda, right?"
"But there's plenty of money to be made from invading Iraq, isn't there?"
"I've come to the conclusion that the axis of evil rhetoric was just a smokescreen for the real target, which was always going to be Iraq," says Mercedes.
"We stood to gain nothing but trouble by invading Iran or North Korea," adds Mercedes. "Both of these countries might be construed as enemies of the USA and potential threats to our security, but they have no great commercial value to us."
"I was thinking of doing some travel after finishing my studies," sighs Mercedes, "but now I wouldn't dream of getting on a plane or traveling through countries that hate us."
"I don't particularly feel safe at home, either," adds Mercedes. "You never know who is plotting against us -- more particularly American business interests, and the military might that supports them."
"If this is the price we must pay for being a rich and powerful nation then is it worth it?" asks Mercedes. "What am I studying for if we are going to be hit at home with more terrible acts of terror against our illegal involvement in the affairs of other nations?"
"Why can't we be like Sweden or Switzerland and mind our own business?"
(Mercedes' story first appeared as it's all about oil and money and is reprinted with permission.)
The first question Mercedes asked everyone after 9/11 was 'why?' and although it was not given directly to her the answer ultimately came from Osama bin Laden himself.
"He once said that all terrorist acts would stop once America pulled out of the middle east and minded its own business," explains Mercedes.
"Clearly, by pushing into parts of the world where they are not wanted," adds Mercedes, "American business interests, and the military might that supports them, are inciting more hatred and exposing more and more innocent people to acts of terror."
"When neighbors get together to protest against an industrial development in their area," explains Mercedes, "they are often successful in thwarting the development, or having a say in modifying how the development takes place."
"If they are unsuccessful, they have the option to sell up and move on."
"What say do people in poor countries have when wealthy American business interests move into their area?"
"None, I'd imagine," says Mercedes, "and that's why these people have to resort to terrorist attacks. They don't have the option to sell up and move on like we do."
"It's like the situation in Northern Ireland and Israel, isn't it?" muses Mercedes.
"Faced with the might of the British armed forces the Irish wanting a united Ireland have no option but to resort to terror to get the Brits out of Northern Ireland."
"And having lost most of their country when Israel was created as a homeland for displaced Jews following WWII the Palestinians are in a similar situation," explains Mercedes.
"It seems to me that terrorist attacks are nothing more than acts of desperation made by people who are denied justice." says Mercedes, "and old style wars where one country openly fought another over a disputed territory or belief are just that -- old style."
"Terrorism seems to be the new style of warfare these days," remarks Mercedes, "and it's no longer nation against nation but little people fighting huge nations or corporations."
"I guess we've got far too many business interests in other parts of the world to pull out and become, once again, an isolationist nation, minding our own business," says Mercedes, "but I truly believe that ultimately we are going to be forced by unrelenting terrorist attacks to face the fact that we are responsible for what happens to us."
"I don't believe that terrorist acts committed by desperate people who rightly or wrongly believe that their rights have been trodden on by a big nation or corporate interests can be stamped out."
"Just think about it -- we use more oil than the rest of the world put together," sighs Mercedes. "The only reason we're interfering in the middle east and fighting in god-forsaken deserts is because that's where the oil is."
"If there were no oil in Iraq," says Mercedes, "we wouldn't be there."
"And if gazillions could not be made from reconstructing a country we have bombed to pieces we wouldn't have done it."
"I am deeply concerned that at soon as we invaded Iraq we headed straight for the oil fields and as soon as the bombing of cities started the tenders went out for rebuilding them," sighs Mercedes. "Doesn't that indicate quite clearly what the war is all about?"
"The war in Afghanistan was a just war for just reasons," adds Mercedes. "There was no money to be made from it and I suppose that's why we didn't go after Osama and the al-Qaeda network when we had routed them."
"There was no money to be made from pursuing Osama and the al-Qaeda, right?"
"But there's plenty of money to be made from invading Iraq, isn't there?"
"I've come to the conclusion that the axis of evil rhetoric was just a smokescreen for the real target, which was always going to be Iraq," says Mercedes.
"We stood to gain nothing but trouble by invading Iran or North Korea," adds Mercedes. "Both of these countries might be construed as enemies of the USA and potential threats to our security, but they have no great commercial value to us."
"I was thinking of doing some travel after finishing my studies," sighs Mercedes, "but now I wouldn't dream of getting on a plane or traveling through countries that hate us."
"I don't particularly feel safe at home, either," adds Mercedes. "You never know who is plotting against us -- more particularly American business interests, and the military might that supports them."
"If this is the price we must pay for being a rich and powerful nation then is it worth it?" asks Mercedes. "What am I studying for if we are going to be hit at home with more terrible acts of terror against our illegal involvement in the affairs of other nations?"
"Why can't we be like Sweden or Switzerland and mind our own business?"
(Mercedes' story first appeared as it's all about oil and money and is reprinted with permission.)
Labels: 9/11, Big Business, global war, globalization, iraq, israel, oil, osama, palestine, terrorism
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