That was my reaction too - if I thought that was the plan then I could actually understand what is going on.

Controlling middle east oil as we go over the peak is worthwhile only if a crash program to eliminate oil dependence is underway. What is happening instead is a pillaging of the US treasury (and Iraqi oil revenue) by what Eisenhower would have called the "military industrial complex", with no efforts at all to shift away from oil dependence (other than creating all sorts of events that push the oil price higher).

It seems quite possible that we'll have a destroyed economy, still be dependent on oil and face a midle east in open revolt along with a unified chinese-russian block in Eurasia if present trends continue for a few more years. How can one gang of people be so stupid and so immoral at the same time ?

When I was younger one of my friends mother thought that when Nixon went to China, the Chinese kidnapped him and substituted a fake Nixon!  I used to think that was one of the funniest things I had ever heard.

The little shit we have in office now couldn't have done more damage to this country if he had been a foreign agent working for our worst enemy.

What if ... what if ... the bulge in the back is controlled by Ridyah rather than Halliburton? Hmmm ....

You take out Saddam because he threatens the House of Suad, not becuase "he tried to kill ma daddy". This is business, pure and simple.

What if ... what if .. Simmons is right and Gahwar is running low. There are all those untapped Iraqi fields right across the border. Why have noble Saudi's die when the dumb Americans will do it for us? Hmmm ...
"controlling middle east oil"

One country (well two with UK help) unilaterally taking control of middle east oil is a sure fire way to World War III, IV and V.

If you are ok with that, then we've no problems.

If you think that quality of life following oil wars is likely to be worse off than quality of life following a concerted effort to move, in a peaceful way, to a post-oil era, then we have big problems -- today -- for the path we are on is the former, not the latter.