I find it amazing how so many drooling retards :) (grin) have LEAPT on Nelsons comment and then twisted it (hence the term 'retard') to suit a pre-existing agenda "Destroy Howard at any cost, including truth"

Nelson mentioned 'oil security' if I'm not mistaken. Like Sylvia said.. 'Staying' for that reason is different from 'going' for that reason.
FURTHER... 'oil security' is not exactly 'lets get our hands on their oil' as much as "Lets ensure that with due respect for supply and demand, and the associated pricing, that we have supplies of oil"

It DOES NOT mean. "lets invade Iraq and steal their oil" which appears to be the message being trotted out by Steel.

Note.

1/ Steel is not a Genius.
2/ Steel is not God. :)

No offense oh metalic one.

FH..I think you misunderstood me. Re read pls.
have a read of what I posted in the 'Religious Education' thread, from a Youtube Muslim..I'd love to know of YOUR idea of 'paradise' is as exhotic as his :)

CJ... r u in need of some discipline there ? :) I think so.

Sylvia,

I actually appreciate Dr Nelson comments for being straight and open on this issue. The exploitation rights of Iraqi oil are currently being negotiated and we surely like to see Australian interests looked after.

“However, I've always been skeptical of the war for oil concept simply because it makes no economic sense. Wars are hugely expensive”

War for oil makes perfect economical sense when you consider all strategic benefits:

-The oil energy market runs like a franchise where the local partner (arab country or land owner keep) keeps a 10%-15% share while all other financial benefits goes to the oil tycoon.

-Control over energy sources means control of your economy and that of your competitors and also a political pressure card used on large scale energy importers (ie Russia, China, Japan etc..)

-Control of energy sources means you can easily finance war/ wars regardless of period. The US consumer have been paying close to an extra $USD 2 at the pump per gallon for the last 2 years.

-Last, control of oil resources means more jobs, control over the share market, consumer confidence index, etc..

Skepticism can only arise if you look at short term accounting (ie war cost in a given period – Iraqi oil exports in the same period).
Intl Politics usually look for long term strategic benefits. They don't employ accountants : -)

Boaz,

May I ask you as a fellow Australian to leave me and my faith in peace and talk about something else like history, intl politics or cooking recipes? :-)

Peace,

Sylvia,

"wars are hugely expensive".
Too true - this one has cost billions of dollars. However as I understand it this "shock and awe war " was supposed to over in a matter of months . It all sounded pretty good .

Democracy we were told, was set to gallop into town ....or was it ??

One would imagine the Government in Israel are hoping that the West will hang around for ever .

Seeing all the cars and developement in Israel makes me wonder who is supplying them with oil . No doubt they will double their reserves like the US at least if they can .

Clive Hamilton the terrorism expert has said we are less safe in Australia because of the Iraq war . Howard disagrees ,naturally .

If we ARE there for Oil I am changing my life to run on renewable energy.

I do not like the idea of getting one litre of oil from Iraq .

Bronco, welcome to OLO....

Mind sharing with us your alternative to using all means at our disposal for ensuring the supply of oil does not fall into the hands of those who might use it as a weapon against us ?

Guranteeing a 'friendly' and stable, peaceful government is not exactly the worst thing in the world is it ?

We are not 'stealing' their oil... r we ? Last time I checked we are still 'buying' it..and at a damn high price at that.

The action taken against Sadaam, may have pre-emptively prevented all manner of nightmarish scenario which most of us are not really in the position to know much about.

ALTERNATIVE? Bronco, given that history is in reality the history of alliances, balances of power.. invasions to ensure future threats are minimized... would you mind providing your informed and 'guaranteed' workable solution to the dilemna of human and international relations ? Point form will be fine. When you do this, please provide also evidence from history of its workablity.

FH...you can answer in the other thread.. 'do you' share that view of paradise ? We have covered many aspects of faith, why not this one ?

Apologies - the Terrorism expert is the respected CLIVE WILLIAMS of the ANU .

It seems the Governement, in particular Dr. Brendan Nelson, is becoming increasingly 'sloppy and careless', as strategist Hugh White put it. Compounding his oil slip up, he and the government have now been forced to retract suggestions that China's military expansion is a threat ... The economy aside, this government seems to be fairly deficient and incompetent on foreign policy matters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21NY8wMemCg