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Blog PostsT Boone Pickens Makes Me Sick
By Michael McGehee at Oct 28, 2008 |
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So the oily billionaire T Boone Pickens says we should get first dibs on Iraq oil because 4,000 Americans died in the war so far.
Wow.
This guy is off his oil rig.
The logic is circular.
We are "entitled" to the oil because some of our soldiers died in an illegal war to setup permanent military bases and control their oil. We committed a major crime for it so we ought to get it. That is Pickens' logic in a nutshell.
What price has the Iraqi's paid for our illegal war?
~ Over one million dead.
~ Over four million made refugees.
~ Skyrocketing unemployment.
~ Ethnic cleansing.
~ Civil War.
~ Increased malnutrition of children.
~ Increased cancer and birth defects due to our use of depleted uranium.
And the horror's go on.
So what are they entitled to from us?
This is all so sick. That we would give space to such a man to make such comments and there is not telling how many Americans will be nodding their heads in agreement to this vulgar display of imperialism and ignorance.
We are not entitled to anything for our crimes except punishment.
Remember, the war is illegal and soldiers have an obligation to disobey unlawful orders. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) was based on the Nuremberg Principles that we used to try Nazi war criminals at the end of World War Two. That we are flagrantly violating these principles in Iraq ought to tell us something.
Soldiers take an oath to defend the constitution, not the President, Congress or T. Boone Pickens' oily interests. Their enlistment oath also says they will obey the President and their superiors so long as the orders are lawful.
The US Constitution says that all treaties signed are the "supreme law of the land" while the UN Charter - a treaty we signed and thus the supreme law of the land - states what are legal justifications for using force. Our use of force in Iraq and Afghanistan does not meet the requirements.
The wars are illegal and troops who obey these unlawful orders also violate their oaths.
Wow.
This guy is off his oil rig.
The logic is circular.
We are "entitled" to the oil because some of our soldiers died in an illegal war to setup permanent military bases and control their oil. We committed a major crime for it so we ought to get it. That is Pickens' logic in a nutshell.
What price has the Iraqi's paid for our illegal war?
~ Over one million dead.
~ Over four million made refugees.
~ Skyrocketing unemployment.
~ Ethnic cleansing.
~ Civil War.
~ Increased malnutrition of children.
~ Increased cancer and birth defects due to our use of depleted uranium.
And the horror's go on.
So what are they entitled to from us?
This is all so sick. That we would give space to such a man to make such comments and there is not telling how many Americans will be nodding their heads in agreement to this vulgar display of imperialism and ignorance.
We are not entitled to anything for our crimes except punishment.
Remember, the war is illegal and soldiers have an obligation to disobey unlawful orders. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) was based on the Nuremberg Principles that we used to try Nazi war criminals at the end of World War Two. That we are flagrantly violating these principles in Iraq ought to tell us something.
Soldiers take an oath to defend the constitution, not the President, Congress or T. Boone Pickens' oily interests. Their enlistment oath also says they will obey the President and their superiors so long as the orders are lawful.
The US Constitution says that all treaties signed are the "supreme law of the land" while the UN Charter - a treaty we signed and thus the supreme law of the land - states what are legal justifications for using force. Our use of force in Iraq and Afghanistan does not meet the requirements.
The wars are illegal and troops who obey these unlawful orders also violate their oaths.
I do think "our troops" deserve to be criticized for their actions but I also feel our leaders bare the brunt of guilt and should be held to justice for their crimes. I also realize how effectively "our troops" were duped with warmongering propaganda, and it disgusts me to see some oilmonger exploit the consequences of them being duped and sacrificed. They have friends and family who will forever miss them and it's not right that they were treated like imperial cannon fodder and tricked into giving their lives for lies and crimes. They too, the soldiers and their loved ones, were victimized. So while I may have harsh words on the violations of the oaths that they took, oaths I value and take serious, I do have strong feelings of empathy for what was done to them.
So we illegally and immorally waged a war that has unleashed Hell on millions of people and we say we deserve the spoils of aggression because four thousand kids died for it?
No, I don't think so. In fact, it is very disturbing he even said it.
By Hunt, Steve at Nov 06, 2008 07:41 AM
He helped engineer the "eminent domain" crap in Stillwater, OK so that Oklahoma State University could build a bunch of new sports facility crap. Problem is, he donated money to the University and made them put the $$$$ back in his hedge fund..and the hedge fund lost a billion plus recently and now all the projects are on hold. Amazing!
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