Justification for the War in Iraq!

As part of the seven count list of particulars that was submitted to the UN to justify the war with Saddam and the Terrorists Colin Powel stated that in 1994 Saddam Hussein admittedly planned an assaination attempt on United States President George Bush 41.

Today Tariq Aziz said "It was an assassination attempt against the president, and this party also tried to assassinate me in 1980," Aziz said. "If the head of state comes under attack, the state is required by law to take action. If the suspects are caught with weapons, it's only natural they should be arrested and put on trial."

Makes sense to me. lol

Biased media only reports anti American hecklers.

I was recently at a "Town Hall Meeting" conducted by representatives Caroline Malonney and Jack Murtha. The "Town Hall Meeting" was conducted by the Community Church of NY which is most known for its close relationship with Saddam Hussein Defense attorney and Neo Stalinist founder of ANSWER Ramsey Clark. The "Church" also has a close relationship with a group called the Lawyers Guild which has been involved with violent attacks on police officers in San Francisco and in New York sending patrolmen to intensive care units.

I made my way through the tables set up by Laruche and the American Socalist Front to take my seat in front next to a 70 year Korean War Vet and a 60 year old DNC Cheerleader. After sitting through 1 hour and fourty five minutes of anti-bush hate speach. I have come to the conclusion, that Murtha image of hesitant patriot that is portrayed by the media is entirely off base. It seems to me that he is a bitter old man who was at one time passed over for a higher commission and is expressing his views that are shadded by his incomplete knowledge of military doctrine, strategic intelligence and foriegn affairs.

I took an afternoon out my busy schedule to go to this "Town Hall Meeting" because I had questions about Murtha's ideas and wanted to get an more complete understanding of the issues. Well the questions I had such as "Mr. Murtha, you said that 'the US could montior the Middle East using an over the horizon stratedgy'. Also, on meet the press you said over 'the horizon was defined as stationing the Middle East Expeditionary Force in Guam'. 'Mr. Murtha, do you know Guam is in Asia and 7,000 distant from Bagdad?"

After carefully listening to the points he made, I got on line to ask a new question that spoke more directly to Mr. Murtha's speach. My new question is "Congressmen Murtha, it seems to me that your primary reason for withdrawal is you do not want the troops to be caught up in a Iraqi Civil war. Mr. Mutha would not you agree the Alqaida thrived in the conditions set by the Afgan Civil War and that 9/11 would not have been possible without safe haven that was provided to UBL by Afganistan and the Un mandated conditions of the Soviet Withdrawl? Under your plan why wouldn't Iraq become another Afganistan?" I never go to ask these questions. I was not allowed to go on line and ask and was told all the qustions were planted by DNC operatives.

When I refused to get off the line I was escorted out of Hall and booed and spit on by the Partisan Liberals that sponsored the event. I can't stop recalling what the staffer said to me as I was escorted out by the DNC stormtroopers, " Freedom of speach did not apply and they were not here to wast time with stupid questions". My point, NBC news cameras where there they panned on me as I attempted to ask my question and yet it never made the evening news.

The case for lower energy taxes.

Going after US based oil companies is perhaps the most feckless idea I have ever heard. This country needs to become energy independent and handicapping the leading investors in US energy indepence is a ignorant solution to a complex problem.

Oil companies are leveraged risky companies that put thier capital on the line to make profits. Leverage is defined as use of debt to make large investments. When profitable leverage creates larger returns when unprofitable leveraged companies go bankrupt. Taking risk sometimes does not work out, one reason Enron is in court today is due to their speculation that prices would go up in the short term. True, the oil companies have been making a lot of money because price and demand is up.

An ironic fact is the federal goverment also benefits from high prices because of the taxes it charges the oil companies. Last quarter Exxon Moble had energy related sales of $86 billion ,thats pretty impressive. However, as it turns out oil is not that profitable an investment despite the huge volume of sales. XOM's profits before income taxes are roughly 14 billion (taking out the compay's profits from non oil related activities). XOM makes roughly 14 cents on every dollar of sales before taxes. By comparison Microsoft makes 43 cents on every dollar of sales; in other words Microsoft is 68% more profitable. Moreover, Chuck Schumer's largest campaign contributer Goldman Sach's makes 50% more on every dollar of its sales as Compared to EXXON. The federal goverment made more from high energy prices than EXXON has because it taxes EXXON's products and profits. Exxon is faced with a 45% income tax rate which means the goverment collects from Exxon shareholders 45 cents from every dollar Exxon's profits.

The goverment also collects income taxes from Exxons employees and charges consumers tarrifs and use taxes on the gas and fuel oil consumers purchase at the gas station. For example, durning the last quarter the federal goverment collected a total of $16 billion dollars in income taxes and duties from EXXON and shareholders recieved just $6.5 billion. Perhaps a wind fall tax cut from the goverment is more in order. In conclusion, we the people need the US based energy companies if we are going to migrate to other fuels because the current Oil distribution system is supper efficient and can be redeployed to distribute any type of fuel including bio diesel, eythenol or hydrogen.

Going after US based oil companies is a strategic mistake an will hurt the long term intrests of the US. On solution is to tax foriegn owned oil companies. Russian and Venezuelan owned oil companies have access to OIL at a cost of $6 per barrel and perhaps CITGO and GETTY should be taxed at higher rates to compensate American consumers and promote alternative fuels.