Blood for oil? I’d give mine
I’m an American soldier. I’m willing to die for my country, my fellow countrymen and their interests. But am I willing to die for oil?
You’re damn right I am.
I just finished watching Band of Brothers (again) and the second-to-last episode is called “Why We Fight.” The American soldiers in the story don’t know why they are fighting in Europe other than the Germans are “bad” and they were told to do their job. They find out in that grueling episode how bad the Germans really were. The camp that’s discovered is a horrendous example of why we fight evil in the world. I have even shown Schindler’s List to my children before I deployed to Iraq (they were 12 and 10 at the time). Parenting criticism aside, I wanted to show my children why Daddy had to go stop bad people from doing bad things to other people.
But I’m a professional soldier. And I know that the conflicts I have been in, and will be sent to, are about more than just stopping human atrocities. Or I would’ve been in Darfur a long time ago. And while I would bitch and moan about it, I would be happy to be there. To mete out a little justice to people who think they can do those kinds of things to other people… to the weak.
But what about protecting our interests? War is not always about righting wrongs. Sometimes it’s about resources and access to resources. I chose my team a long time ago. America (Rock, Flag and Eagle*). I’m on America’s team. When we identify interests then I’m all-in for protecting those interests. I am willing to die to serve what my country has said is in our best interests… but I go in with the mindset that I’m trying to make the other guy die for whatever he thinks he’s doing. As General George S. Patton so famously put it, “the object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other guy die for his.” Why am I willing to do that? Because I’m selfish. I want my children to grow up not having to suffer the evils of the Third Reich. Because I want my children to continue to enjoy the American way of life. And to do that, the American way of life must survive.
When I think back on ancient tribes fighting over a particular tract of hunting grounds or a stream or lake, I believe that the warrior lost in those endeavors died honorably serving his tribe. Oil is a natural resource. Most likely, it is the modern day’s most important resource. Yes, there is food and water, but right after that… oil. From the University of Liverpool comes a list of some of the more common things that are made from or depend on oil (it’s from England so it’s spelled funny… they’re so cute with their rubbish bags and tyres… ha!):
| Air conditioners Antiseptics Aspirin Balloons Bottles Cameras Candles Car batteries Carpets |
CDs Computers Contacts Crayons Cream Denture adhesives Deodorant Detergents Hearing aids |
Heart valves Pens Perfumes Rubbish bags Running shoes Telephones Tennis rackets Tyres |
This list is ridiculously small and doesn’t even touch on the concept of gasoline or the worldwide infrastructure that is dependent on the gasoline-powered engine to get goods from one end of the world to the other… by sea… by land… by air.
Enter some world- or region-dominating maniac. I don’t care who he is or where he is… or what religion he is. He wants to take someone else’s oil. Or he wants to control a dominant portion of oil. Nope. Not gonna happen. With oil being such a precious resource, I don’t see how we can let anything other than stable governments control it. They can be different from the western world. They can disagree with the western world. But they cannot be hostile to the western world.
Let’s take the Persian Gulf War as an example. If Saddam Hussein had been appeased when he took Kuwait, would he have been appeased if he took Saudi Arabia next? If he was in control of all of that oil, is it reasonable to assume that he would’ve used that newfound power against the western world? Or would he have been content with simply managing OPEC and keeping up supply according to market forces? When the rest of the world might collapse without the availability of cheap oil, we cannot allow one guy that much power. So the western world complains and embargos and goes through all of the diplomatic machinations it has to… because it should. Diplomacy comes first. Finally, someone decides that they have had enough and they call in the soldiers. The guy just won’t be reasoned with… send in the troops. Let slip the dogs of war. It’s never pretty. It’s never neat.
We can discuss the finer points of war. We can discuss whether or not innocent casualties as a result of war are worth it. We can argue if this is just a cost of engaging in war. We can discuss the cost or savings of not going to war. We can discuss the gambit that is war. The idea that perhaps if we had just held out a bit longer diplomacy could’ve won the day. However, how are these discussions relevant to the warrior? He isn’t granted the luxury of “what if.” Only the reality of what is. Adapt and overcome or die trying. No. The warrior does nothing but bleed.
Is that blood for oil? Yes. Do we need that oil? Yes. Do we value oil? Yes. Do we value life? Yes. Is the cost of some soldiers worth maintaining the standard of living we have set for ourselves in America (Rock, Flag and Eagle)? Absolutely. Do we need to be more judicious with our use of the oil we have? Probably… different discussion.
I, for one, imagine myself in an ancient tribe… with sharpened spear… face to face with the enemy and his weapon. We do battle because we are soldiers. Because our village needs more food or water or whatever. Because our children are going hungry and our village is growing. The enemy has his problems as well. The elders had gotten together. They tried to share the resources. But someone got greedy. And now we fight. We fight because the enemy threatens the welfare of my child now. I do my best to win. Eventually, I die knowing that I bled for my family… for my village… for my country… for our access to that resource… for oil. I die proud.
*From It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode — Charlie Goes America All Over Everybody’s Ass.
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WOW. Wonderfully written. Thank you for all that you do.
Someone get this guy a movie deal, and quick.
We need just this sort of intelligent counterpoint to the general debate, and the tone and narrative of this argument nails it.
A terrific read.
Do you think those who disagree, those who think that human life isn’t worth oil, should have to pay the taxes required to send you to wherever the oil is?
It’s much the same question as what conservatives pose when the discussion in health care reform revolves around federally funded abortions: Should the people who don’t feel the same as you be forced to bear the cost equally?
@ Julie and Chloe –
Thank you. I appreciate your comments. And the movie deal is a great idea that I’m sure I’ll get countless offers for. Bueller? Bueller?
@ Mike –
Should people who believe differently still have to pay taxes/bear the cost of any decision?
Yes. We live in a federal constitutional republic. As such, our representatives make decisions for us. We all pay for whatever those decisions are. If we don’t agree, our recourse is our ballot. Imagine if we had to delineate what people paid by what they agreed with. It would never work…theoretically or practically.
In essence, it’s a part of the contract of being an American. Remember anyone can opt out of that contract if they feel strongly enough that it no longer suits them. But in the end, just like I don’t get to decide where I go next, we may not like the decisions our government makes. In fact, I have never met anyone that agrees with government 100% of the time. But because I think America (Rock, Flag and Eagle) is the best country in the history of man (sorry ladies), I’m willing to agree to disagree with it at times.
@ Jeffrey
Ok. Then the next question:
Given this paragraph:
“Yes. We live in a federal constitutional republic. As such, our representatives make decisions for us. We all pay for whatever those decisions are. If we don’t agree, our recourse is our ballot. Imagine if we had to delineate what people paid by what they agreed with. It would never work…theoretically or practically.”
Flash back to the days of the draft. Do you agree or disagree with the idea that a conscientious objector shouldn’t be forced to fight, that they shouldn’t have to pay the same costs as the other soldiers because they don’t believe in war?
That’s a slightly different question. Because now you’re talking about putting other peoples lives at risk. What I mean by that is a soldier who is unwilling or unable to fight puts his fellow soldiers at risk. So a conscientious objector should NOT be sent to a combat front line because of the risks involved to other soldiers. Now can that person still be drafted and serve in other capacities? Yes. However, if the numbers were large enough (like if a huge number of draftees claimed to be conscientious objectors) then we have a problem. I would be severely disappointed to have that many people not willing to defend their country but (that aside) as an extreme example yes. People can and should be made to fight for their country. They did it in World War I and II. It worked well enough. Obviously, a volunteer Army is much better than a conscripted one but, when needed, a conscripted Army is better than no Army.
@ Jeffery
I don’t think there would be any shortage of volunteers willing to fight and die to protect *this country*.
I think a lot of people would have refused to be drafted to go fight in Iraq though, if we still had the draft.
My argument in a nutshell:
The government does not have the freedom to remove an honest, law abiding citizen’s freedom to life and liberty, only a jury of their peers. To draft someone, to tax someone’s wages away, to pay for a war that the politicians want, that the lobbyists want, this is no better than a sentence without due process.
I’m all for the people who volunteer. I support the troops, if not the military. But I cannot find any reason why I should support the government’s freedom to take a person from their home and family and send them off to war to die for a politician’s greed. Nor do I see any reason why they shouldn’t have to pay for their own wars.
The rich pick ’em, the poor die in ’em. It’s not right. *Your* life is too valuable to risk for the reward only the politicians get.
But I guess that would explain why I’m not in the military, huh?
See that’s the thing about the draft. You can’t “refuse” it. If you avoid it (dodge) theoretically you go to jail. But I don’t understand your logic. Because I hear you saying (read you writing) that people should not have to engage in or pay for a policy from the government that they don’t believe in. In this case…war. But wouldn’t/couldn’t that same logic be applied to the laws of America (Rock, Flag and Eagle)? Using your logic the government shouldn’t be allowed to tax someone’s wages or put them in jail for not supporting a law they didn’t like.
And I get how the rich pick ’em (wars). In that, the rich are the ones we elect to represent us. Which we should continue to do by the way. If someone cannot succeed in life monetarily, I certainly don’t want them making decisions about what to do with my money. But I don’t get how the poor die in them. I did not grow up poor. I know…that’s anectdotal. But the average test scores of those in the military is higher than the average test scores of Americans. In other words, above average Americans (quality of character aside) join the military.
And the reward is not just for the politicians. It is for all of us. We all benefit from our way of life and our increased standard of living. That is ALL possible because of the availability of cheap oil. I bleed (potentially) to perserve that for ALL of us…but mainly for me and my kids. But you ALL get the benefits of me (and others) doing it.
Why you specifically didn’t join the military I have no idea. If you are a pacifist then you would qualify as a conscientious objector. And you shouldn’t join the military. If you had other opportunities after high school or college and wanted to pursue those instead, then you shouldn’t join the military. If you don’t feel like keeping your hair short and hate shaving every day, then you shouldn’t join the military. If you’re not a morning person, I don’t suggest joining the military. There are alot of reasons to join and not join. Some better than others on both sides.
@ Jeffery
I’m not a pacifist. I’d just rather pay higher prices for oil than see Americans killed. The lives of our troops are more important to me than saving a couple of bucks at the pump.
BUT
It’s important to think about the fact that oil prices and gas prices didn’t go down once we went into Iraq, they went through the roof.
And it’s important to remember that we didn’t go there to get cheap oil. But I would’ve been willing to go if that was the reason. And I think the price of oil for Americans was proof that we didn’t go there to steal their oil.
Also, I’m not saying you are a pacifist. Maybe you’re a night owl. I don’t know. But if oil were $200 a barrel because a despot had control of an iordinate supply of oil and that price meant a collapse of our current economic system, would it be worth American lives then? I’m saying it’s worth mine to ensure our lifestyle from a despot.