As the Bush administration continues escalating the war in Iraq, more and more Americans are questioning the ethics of the involvement asking, "What are we fighting for?"  Unfortunately, in our blissful ignorance, we moral idealists have forgotten our history and often choose to deny uncomfortable truths.  

In a so-called `industrial nation,' the political and economic agendas are dictated by the prevailing industries.  This, in itself, is not necessarily a tragedy.  That which we euphemistically refer to as the, `American Way of Life,' is dearly indebted to technology and industry.  It is, however, the responsibility of the elected government to insure that the influence of big business does not supercede the will of the people.  The past fifty years have given rise to a disturbing trend in American parliamentary procedure.  America has gone from a one man, one vote democracy to a one dollar, one vote oligarchy.

It is a foregone conclusion that the current Executive Branch of the United States Government has never represented the will of the people despite a skillful propaganda campaign touting family values and Christian ideology.  George Bush along with all of his capos represent the will of big business; specifically, Exxon Mobil, Halliburton, British Petroleum, Dutch Shell and General Dynamics, not to mention, the key players in the pharmaceutical industry.

In 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was also a General as well as a Texan, observed the post-war expansion of American industry throughout Europe and Asia.  He warned the American people that these corporations were establishing governments of their own and could one day, acquire enough political clout to deploy the United States Military to protect and expand their interests.  He defined this association as the Military-Industrial Complex.  In 1972, President Salvador Allende of Chile spoke before the United Nations warning of the increasing leverage exerted by multi-national corporations on the governments throughout the developing world.  At the conclusion of his presentation, he received a fifteen minute standing ovation.  He was then branded a Marxist and ultimately assassinated by the American CIA on national television; however, this was later reported as a suicide.  He was replaced by a military Dictator supported by the American government or, more specifically, by American industry which had been exploiting farmers and copper miners in that region for decades.  The following military surge orchestrated by General Pinochet, under the watchful eye of the CIA, murdered tens of thousands of the Socialist majority who had democratically elected Allende; thus eliminating any opposition to multi-national corporate interests.

Osama Bin Laden recognized the marriage between money and military during the first Gulf War.  Anyone who can prove Kuwaiti heritage has no obligation to work.  Instead, each Kuwaiti citizen is entitled to a share of oil revenues generated by the nationalized oil industry.  The minimum yearly dividend is approximately $70,000 per person.  When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, President H.W. Bush, without hesitation, sent the United States Military to protect these shareholders of the Big Three oil companies.  If it was truly Bin Laden's intention to mass-murder Americans, the ineptitude of the Bush intelligence apparatus could easily have provided better opportunities.  The targets could have been the World Series or the Super Bowl.  Instead, Bin Laden attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, ergo the Military-Industrial Complex.  Furthermore, 911 was a direct assault on the Bush family in retribution for Desert Storm.  The Bush Administration capitalized on the atrocity by hiring elements outside the reach of the electorate to establish and perpetuate a propaganda campaign instilling and maintaining fear in the American people.  Meanwhile, these multi-nationals tightened their stranglehold on governments in the Mid-East.  Bin Laden's life ambition has been met, his work is complete.  He will forever remain a hero in the history of radicalism.  It is, however, vital to the Bush--Halliburton--Exxon Mobil consortium to keep Bin Laden alive in the hearts and minds of the American people.  Fear is the principle criterion for the successful promotion of its agenda.  Based upon the Bush regime's indelible record of lies and hyperbole, it would elicit little surprise if the bones of Osama Bin Laden were discovered in Karl Rove's garage.  

This war has absolutely nothing to do with terrorism.  The only segment of the population who should be terrified consists of those who are profiting from it.  This war has nothing to do with Islam.  Anyone who has studied Islam would know that every aspect of this conflict is in violation to the principles of Jihad.  This war has nothing to do with democracy.  Kuwait is no democracy--it is a fundamentalist, Islamic monarchy.  This war is about money and profit--the bottom line is the bottom line.  

George Bush, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and the rest of the self-proclaimed illuminati are simply increasing their net worths in perpetuity with the blood of the innocent.  Patterned after Plato's Republic, they collectively seek to establish a new, ruling class.  Any effort on the part of Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic majority to ease tensions in the Middle East will be met with resistance and condemnation.  It's just, plain bad for business.