I think it's alright to call him a racist fuck if you think he is one, but you should put it at the beginning and end of some rational discussion. That gives it more punch.
Unless, of course, you can't manage rational discussion because you're an
ignorant fuck. Then it all starts looking like Rain Main playing Forrest Gump in a blindfolded chess match - only they both have Tourette's.
So, here's my rational argument:
If your car pulls up by the side of the road, and there's smoke coming out of the engine, side panels falling off, steering wheel spinning, and you say, "Well, my car's manual says -" then I'm going to be pretty damned sure your car's manual ain't worth a damn.
The 1st Div handbook is full of shit. Plain as dog's balls it must be, since the whole place has gone to shit, and
more US troops are dying as time goes on, and the war heats up.
The USA went to war in Iraq because it had to.
I am a bit tired of encountering clueless people who wonder why we're at war in Iraq, or why we buddy up to murderous dictators. They realise it's because of oil, but then they say, "Oil is the heroin of governments". But governments are not the addicts, they are the dealers - we're the addicts.
It's the general public who are tying off, tapping a vein, and jabbing that needleful in.
Elected politicians are followers, not leaders. If they are securing a supply of oil, it's not so they can drink it at afternoon tea. It's so the general public can burn it to maintain their lifestyle.
If you don't want your elected politicians to make dodgy deals with dodgier corporate and political leaders, then reduce or stop your use of oil.
Of all the significant oil-exporting nations of the world, only Norway is a liberal democracy. All the rest - Venezuela, Nigeria, Libya, Iran, Kazakhstan - have some degree of dictatorship, oppression, corruption or civil conflict. So if the USA will not import oil from such countries, then the USA will not import oil at all.
The USA produces 8.7 million barrels of oil a day. It consumes 21 million a day. Therefore, it must import 12 million. From where can it get these? I speak of the USA, because it's the single biggest consumer of oil - 21 of 82 million barrels every day - and the single biggest importer - 12.1 million each day. And in any case, developing countries often use the USA as their economic model - thankyou, IMF! So what the USA does affects everyone.
Top oil exporting nations, production of oil in millions of barrels per day going to export
(Source, US govt)1) Saudi Arabia 8.73
2) Russia 6.67
3) Norway 2.91
4) Iran 2.55
5) Venezuela 2.36
6) United Arab Emirates 2.33
7) Kuwait 2.20
Nigeria 2.19
9) Mexico 1.80
10) Algeria 1.68
11) Iraq 1.48
12) Libya 1.34
13) Kazakhstan 1.06
14) Qatar 1.02
Figures are for 2004, and so have not accounted fully for subsequent decline in Iraqi and Nigerian production due to conflicts in those areas. Canada produces three million barrels, but consumes over two million of those, and so doesn't make it into this list.
Now, supposing you wish for the USA to not import from countries with oppressive or corrupt regimes. Please find in that list of countries producing more than a million barrels of oil a day, at least 12.1 million barrels. Let's take Norway's lot of 2.91. Now you have to find "only" 9.2 million. Please choose the least oppressive and corrupt countries only. And bear in mind that other countries would like to buy oil from liberal democracies as well. Japan imports 5.3 million barrels of oil each day, China 2.9 million (and rising by 9% annually), Germany 2.4 million, South Korea 2.2, and so on.
Alternately, the USA could rely solely on its domestic oil production of 8.69 million, consuming only that. This would require that each and every person in the United States reduce their personal oil consumption, direct or indirect, to 8.69/21 = 41% of what it is now. And of course, US
proven oil reserves [340kb pdf download] are 21,371 million barrels. So the USA can, even supposing production could be increased overnight from 8.69 to 21 million barrels a day, last for about three years before it runs out. On consumption of 8.69 million barrels a day, the USA could last for about eight years - again, assuming an overnight change.
Western politicians are not addicted to oil, the Western public is. That's you and me. The Western public asking their governments why we're at war in Iraq or buddying up with murderous dictators is like the spoiled kid who demands expensive toys from his dad, then wonders why his dad works overtime and doesn't come home for dinner. They're just giving us what we demand. So if you want us to stop our involvement in Iraq, and buddying up with murderous dictators... use less oil.
We are responsible for what our governments do. They
represent us. So if you ain't happy with us being at war in Iraq, or with the way we're fightin' it - get up from your computer, and go take a look in the mirror. But don't switch the light on to do it - that uses oil.
You ignorant fuck!
See? It's much punchier after all that rational discussion. And what's best, you don't know
which one I'm callin' iggeran'.
:combust: