Oil Consumption
Let me make it clear, our troops didn’t choose this war, but they stepped up and did what they were told, which is honorable. The Bush regime has no honor, and they have the blood of hundred of thousands of innocent Iraqis on their hands. We’ve spent over a trillion dollars on a war we didn’t need to fight, which continues to devastate our economy.
Our culture of militarism and consumption has cost a million lives in Iraq and is a keystone issue in the fight against global warming. The 133 million barrels of oil used by the military in 2005 is equivalent to the total oil consumption of Sweden. More than costing billions in tax payer dollars, this overwhelming consumption of oil is not sustainable.
To sustain our troops located halfway around the world, the Department of Defense must move millions of tons of arms, ammunition, food, fuel, and equipment every year by plane or ship, which consumes additional petroleum.
However, foreign wars account for but a small fraction of the Pentagon’s total petroleum consumption. America has the world’s largest fleet of modern aircraft, helicopters, ships, tanks, armored vehicles, and support systems. In fact the Department of Defense is the world’s leading consumer of petroleum. In April 2007, defense contractor, LMI Government Consulting, reported that the Pentagon might consume as much as 14 million gallons of oil every day.
American makes up only five percent of the world’s population, but consumes 25% of its oil. Apparently, the Pentagon’s addiction to oil is a major reason we need to invade oil rich nations. Is our imperialistic involvement in the Middle East in our strategic national interest or in the interest of the Pentagon, which needs to justify a bloated budget? Would bringing our troops home flood the market with an additional 7 million gallons of oil a day and bring down the price of oil at the pump?
Our culture of militarism and consumption has cost a million lives in Iraq and is a keystone issue in the fight against global warming. The 133 million barrels of oil used by the military in 2005 is equivalent to the total oil consumption of Sweden. More than costing billions in tax payer dollars, this overwhelming consumption of oil is not sustainable.
To sustain our troops located halfway around the world, the Department of Defense must move millions of tons of arms, ammunition, food, fuel, and equipment every year by plane or ship, which consumes additional petroleum.
However, foreign wars account for but a small fraction of the Pentagon’s total petroleum consumption. America has the world’s largest fleet of modern aircraft, helicopters, ships, tanks, armored vehicles, and support systems. In fact the Department of Defense is the world’s leading consumer of petroleum. In April 2007, defense contractor, LMI Government Consulting, reported that the Pentagon might consume as much as 14 million gallons of oil every day.
American makes up only five percent of the world’s population, but consumes 25% of its oil. Apparently, the Pentagon’s addiction to oil is a major reason we need to invade oil rich nations. Is our imperialistic involvement in the Middle East in our strategic national interest or in the interest of the Pentagon, which needs to justify a bloated budget? Would bringing our troops home flood the market with an additional 7 million gallons of oil a day and bring down the price of oil at the pump?
posted by Jim O'Leary | 12:09 AM
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