What to do about Iraq? How about some realism, first. For many alcoholics it seems to work. Maybe it would work for oil addicts, too. Maybe even Democrats.
How about a bit of Democratic realism on Iraq, a first step, so to speak.
Oil, in Iraq, is the final bottom line, no matter how we cloak it. Like it or not, the oil in Iraq is the elephant in the room and Democrats need to acknowledge this even if Republicans can't.
The reality is oil is "pretty damn important" in the 'real' world.
The US has allowed imported oil to become a vital national security interest. And, as much as I wish it were not so, the reality is Democrats played a role in allowing our dependence on imported oil.
Also, the era of diversification away from Middle Eastern oil is ending. It is no longer a viable strategy. The amount of oil available for export by non-Middle Eastern sources is dwindling. Ask Dick Cheney. It's one of the few honest answers you would get from him.
The US is in Iraq to be close to their huge oil reserves. We are like a full dog with a new bone. We're not hungry yet, but we know we will be. We are 'securing access' to our stash. We insist we don't mind paying for it, and that is true, but we want it close to our pillow as we sleep.
The US doesn't actually want to 'steal' the oil, just exert enough control that Iraqis look favorably upon US national/corporate interests ...like the Saudis do.
But the Saudi model is unacceptable. Like it or not, this is where the Neocons are in agreement with us. The Neocons also strongly felt Saddam, free from sanctions and sitting on $trillions in oil reserves, would have been just as unacceptable as the Saudis. They had a strong case, and, like it or not, Clinton was in agreement.
Face the truth, if you have to do business with a drug dealer, it's better if he is not a well armed thug that beats up your friends.
A best case scenario in Iraq includes favorable, rather than un-favorable, dispensation of Iraqi oil but with no Iraqi death squads or military occupation by the US necessary. Is this possible? I don't know. But until we are free from addiction, this is the best we can hope for. Let's be up front, as Democrats, about this.
We can attempt to deny the reality that "oil is pretty damn important", but we will deny reality, and we will be as unsuccessful as Bush is at denying reality.
We are in a snug bed with big oil. Like it or not. It's as pointless to hate Exxon as it is for that crackhead to hate the corner crack dealer.
In the meantime, maybe Democrats need to be the first to acknowledge that they have played a part in allowing the oil under the ground in the Middle East to become such a vital national security interest. Then point to Iraq as a consequence, and vow to change our behavior.
It's time the Democrats come clean about oil.
There is nothing more vital to US national security right now than to deal head on with our inefficient and wasteful use of fossil fuels. We deny this reality at our peril.
Let's take the first step.