243 if you think we are there for oil, you miss the entire point of being there. We have more oil HERE than exists there. Stop parroting the liberal line, whether you mean to or not, it is insulting to those who go in when the diplomats fail.
Our military is all volunteer. This means that if they wanted to, they could just not sign up. They know a war is ongoing, and have for a decade now. I know several on their 5th and more tours into the sandpit/armpit of the world. To imply they are there for oil is insulting to them as it is to me, when I was first there.
I did not go for oil, I went because people were getting uppity and cutting off shipping lanes for the world, and because they were shooting at innocents, engaging in piracy, and especially our ally, Kuwait, someone our country pledged to support in time of need by treaty we were honor bound to uphold.
I assume the reason you do not understand this is because history is no longer taught in schools, but by all rights, we were allowed to seize all territory in Iraq the FIRST time over there because they A) lost the war. We did not do so, and in fact brought them closer to real medical facilities, running water, and electricity country-wide than any time in the history of the planet, AFTER the shooting stopped (for the most part stopped anyway, there were idiots still shooting at us on occasion after the fact, but they were mostly from OTHER countries!).
The second time we should have taken over was after Saddam refused to honor more than 14 UN treaty components after the cease-fire and surrender, and by that violation his country was forfeit by law. Again, we let them keep it, but he paid with his life, at the hands of the very people he was oppressing (not by us though, which was our right to take, had we wanted it).
In addition, Iran, Syria, and a host of smaller countries have all sent people into that area to fight against us and set traps to kill us. I don't see any other country sending in as many troops as we have to help that local populace against this foreign invasion, not one. At the same time, all those liberals are screaming at us and calling us things reminiscent of Viet Nam days of liberals using the precise same names (so you can see where those folks now were motivated from), while we try to give a life to the oppressed. Too bad we don't have the same freedoms here that we try to give to others.
The philosophical road of "let's all be friends" only works if everyone else uses it. One day, when you are much more experienced, you will realize that such is not only a dangerous and foolish idea to believe that humans are capable of that, but you will also realize that every time such lunacy has been tried, there was some fool spouting such that took over and oppressed the remainder of the bunch in one way or another.
I don't know where you get your political and social education from, but it is obvious you haven't got a clue as to what we as soldiers went through or are going through today, unless you were serving at some backwater office in the rear echelon with air conditioning and carpet on the floor. I was dirt poor as a kid, and even lived on occasion in a home that had a real dirt floor with a sheet of plywood simply laid on top, and carpet nailed (yes, nailed) down on it. I saw people overseas that did not have that, and they were being lorded over by the very people you are defending, who had palaces that are more plush than the White House or any other building in the United States, regardless of ownership.
You should take a look around before you blame anyone for not being nice to neighbors, because if the poop hits the fan here, you will only WISH for me and mine to come to your aid. Fortunately, we will, because regardless of how you want everyone to just get along, we know it is not realistic to expect, but will toe the line so that you can enjoy the comforts of your delusion.
Just sayin is all.
God bless all whom are and have served, we, vets too, thank you from the bottoms of our souls. Please search in your hearts to excuse those who have no idea what you are going through, and buy into the liberal agenda that says you are in it for the money (of course, I know you will, but please forgive them as well). Amen.