Iraq and Oil: Plan B by Wileyfoxes

Many years ago when the Iraq war was started by our dear paranoid President Bush, the U.S. was facing huge shortage of oil and no hope for it being any better tomorrow.  Many moons later, we find that fracking, horizontal drilling and cars with better fuel efficiency has done the impossible in substantially reducing our need for oil.  And, if we have the good sense to build some pipelines and expand fracking with enhanced safety requirements, there is hope that things could even get better tomorrow.  

An what impact will the new CO2 emissions rules by EPA play in this new world of energy we find ourselves in?   This approach is not as good as that we posted in a New Energy Future for America, but at least it addresses efficient energy use in a somewhat backhanded way.  Perhaps this can evolve into a system where a carbon tax replaces our income tax system -- I can dream can't I?

So, back to Iraq.  The war was supposed to make the Middle East safer and keep the oil flowing.  It was supposed to decrease the number and effectiveness of the terrorists.  Well, it should be clear that the oil is not any safer with Iraq blowing up its biggest refinery this week in an attempt to get insurgents out of the refinery. The pipeline to Turkey has also been cut.  It should also be clear that our drone program has given everyone in the middle east someone to hate and that number of insurgents, terrorists, rebels, etc. is escalating.  If terrorist are less effective it is because of how we track their money and monitor their movements in America, our smart bombs and our Trillion dollar military effort doesn't seem to be slowing them down.  

In short, Plan A is not working. (My own opinion is that religious extremism is stronger than guns.  But, we don't have to agree on the reason Plan A is failing, only that it is.)

Plan B.  We do not have to control the world.  Let the Shia and the Shiites kill each other off.  Let the war spread.  Carefully choose which if any countries deserve U.S. air power.  Israel, Egypt, Turkey?  Let the Middle East clean up the Middle East. Let countries like Russia or China if they want try to clean up the religious mess called the Middle East.  Let the Middle East learn how to moderate their views and learn to negotiate with their enemies.  Apparently we didn't include these lessons in a our Nation Building 101.

Part 2 of Plan B.  Proceed with the New Energy Future for America with stepped up urgency to build pipelines and electrical infrastructure. Imagine if we had spent one trillion dollars on energy, on our economy instead of worrying about the stability of the oil industry in the Middle East. 

Finally, have the courage to admit our Plan A is not working and simply stop executing Plan A.  If you don't like my Plan B, then create your own and sell it, but please don't keep executing a failed Plan A or supporting governments/parties that want to be stupid by doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.   WE SIMPLY CANNOT CONTROL THE WHOLE WORLD AND BE A PROSPEROUS AMERICA -- it is a myth my friend.