Tuesday, September 30, 2003

Up Against the Wall, Iraq

This is Cal Thomas's new theory, although, naturally, he doesn't put it that way. He puts it this way. "The Bush administration is proposing to spend another $87 billion ($20 billion for Iraq reconstruction) on top of what has already been spent in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, this country should be calling on Iraq and the rest of the oil-producing states to rebuild those nations. Freedom costs, but it should not just cost the United States. Those who benefit most from freedom should pay part of the bill."

Yep. Except Iraq didn't request us to invade and doesn't get any say in how we are repaid. We took over the country by force and are now going to require them to pay for the benefit of us invading.

Of course I'm aware that Saddam was a monster, and I doubt there are too many in Iraq who are sorry to see him go; but we invaded for our own reasons, because we were told our national security was at stake. Given that, it seems a bit beyond the pale to require them, at the barrel of a gun, to give up their barrels of oil.

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