by Eric D.Graham"War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children."JIMMY CARTER, Nobel Lecture, Dec. 10, 2002
Another election; another war.
But, the American people shouldn't be surprised.
One, because, according to the Bible, "you shall hear of wars and rumors of war, but see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.(Matthews Chapter 24: verse 6)
Secondly, as Black people, we must understand that war is the force that gives America, its meaning. America, in fact, needs another war to fuel its economy, especially during this recession. America also needs war to maintain its world dominance.
And, America, definitely needs war to furfil its addiction for oil.
America, in essence, is liken to an heroin addict, looking for its next fix.
And we know, an addict is irrational.
And unfortunately, without hesitation, will "lie, steal, and even kill" in order to get that next high.If anyone disagrees with this comparison, all they have to do is take a quick look at the world map. Because it's no coincidence, that the map on "terror" in the "so-called Middle East" and Central Asia, is practically interchangeable with the map of oil.
Why? Because there's everlasting profits to be made in these stragetic parts of the planet.According to David Ignatius, of the Washington Post, " Oil is a kind of original sin in American politics. It's a big, messy (sometimes dirty) business and it has touched everyone and everything in our political system, from the days of Rockefeller to Bush and Gore."
Now, President Obama, despite his HOPE and CHANGE, finds his hands filthy with this black substance. As a result, the U.S.Military has become a oil defence force, which has built fortesses around oil production in the Middle East, the Caucasus, west Africa, and also along pipelines routes and oil transportation sea lanes.
Why? Because, Harry Kissinger said it best: If you control the energy and you control the nations.In other words, oil is the symbol of US global power.
Therefore, regardless of, who is elected or "selected" president of the United States, it will be the motivate behind America's foreign policy with the rest of the world. We see evidence of this now, currently in Iraq, Afghaistan and even with our dealings with Iran.
And, while many Christians would like to believe America's loyalty to Israel and it's fight against radical Islam is the reason why they find themselves in another conflict overseas, its, really, her love for oil that drives its military presence in that region of the world.
The politics of America's oil dependence, in fact, is ingrained and possessed with a culture of red, white and blue assumption of entitlement and has produced machismo philosophy "of invade and take it."
It's a new form of Manifest Destiny redefined where the motto of GOD, GOLD, AND GLORY has been replaced with GOD, OIL AND OCCUPATION.
Sadly, oil has always been a central motive behind the West's attempts to invade or overthrow governments in the Persian Gulf, escepically in Iraq and in Iran, whether it was Germany, Great Britian, Russia, or America.
"Oil has literally made foreign and security policy for decades. Just since the turn of this century, it has provoked the division of the Middle East after World War I; aroused Germany and Japan to extend their tentacles beyond their borders; the Arab oil embargo; Iran versus Iraq; and the Gulf War. This is all clear. "confirmed Bill Richardson, two-term Governor of New Mexico and speaker and chairman of APCO Worldwide's executive advisory service of Global Political Strategies.Despite this obivious truth, many Americans still believe the war in the "so-called Middle East" is driven by their "hatred" for "us" and "our" freedoms, especially after the devastation of 9/11.
This interplay of imperalism and evangelism, however, produces a type of Theocracy,which is very dangerous and deceptive.
"This war is not against America because we are Americans." said Michael Scheuer, former CIA agent Head director of the bin Laden Unit at the Counterterrorist Center from 1996 to 1999.
"It is motivated by activities of our government and its alliance in the Muslim world...but we're still operating on the assumption that we're hated because of our freedoms, when in fact we're hated because of our actions in the Islamic world. There's our military presence in Islamic countries, the perception that we control the Muslim world's oil production, our support for Israel and for countries that oppress Muslims such as China, Russia, and India, and our own support for Arab tyrannies." expalined Scheuer.
"Publicly promoting democracy while supporting tyranny may be the most damaging thing we do. From the standpoint of democracy, Saudi Arabia looks much worse than Iran. We use the term “Islamofascism”—but we're supporting it in Saudi Arabia, with Mubarak in Egypt, and even Jordan is a police state. We don't have a strategy because we don't have a clue about what motivates our enemies."Scheuer continued.
"Certainly, Israel is an enormous problem for the United States and an enormous motivator for the Islamis, who are active around the world, including in America and Canada and Britain.But it is not only that, it is our support of a Saudi police state, exploitation at low prices....of Muslim oil, our presence on the Arabian penisula, military activities in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia."
Now, with the US on the brink of war with Iran, the question remains, will America's lust for oil lead her to more death and destruction?
19th century American author and humorist Mark Twain brilliantly answers this complicated question when he wrote,
"The loud little handful will shout for war. The 
pulpit will warily and cautiously protest at first....The great mass of the nation will rub its sleepy eyes, and will try to make out why there should be a war, and they will say earnestly and indignantly: "It is unjust and dishonorable and there is no need for war."
"Next, the few will shout even louder...Before long you will see a curious thing: anti-war speakers will be stoned from the platform, and free speech will be strangled by hordes of furious men who still agree with the speakers but dare not admire it..." Twain continued.
"Next, the statesmen will invent cheap lies...and each will be glad of these lies and will study them because they soothe his conscience,; and thus he will bye and bye convince himself that the war is just and he will thank God for a better sleep he enjoys by his self-deception."
If Twain is correct, will (you), or better yet (we) fall for the next lie conjured up by this current administation, whether it is a nuclear threat against Israel or an failed assassination plot against a Saudi ambassador?
Time will tell.
So, prepare yourselves for another war.
