When the US went to war in Iraq in 2003, no one in the mainstream media would admit that it was about protecting US interests in Middle Eastern oil. I always felt that it was really the ONLY legitimate reason to go to war there, but our cynical politicians knew they couldn't sell that idea to the American people.

Our economy and way of life is dependant on a steady stream of energy from fossil fuels. Iraq has one of the largest oil fields in the world, but it was controlled by the state of Iraq. Our oil was under their sands! Of course we needed to invade. We can't be assured of continuing our way of life if we're reliant on the whims of a ruthless dictator. So we need to establish control.

But speaking this aloud isshameful.It means that people must die to feed our energy habit. Lives will be lost to power our HDTVs, to manufacture our McDonald's Kung Fu Panda action figures, and drive us to the Walmart to buy a carton of eggs. So terrorism and the supposed threat to the US was thechosen marketing slantand how the public was sold on the idea of invading a country that posed no threat to us.

Nowwe have news that 5 major oil companieswill be given no-bid contracts to service Iraqi oil fields. With oil prices shooting through the roof, this could be a very lucrative contract indeed. And since the US pressbarely covers Iraq anymore, we can continue with our lives,oblivious to the destructionwe have wrought and the hatred and anger we've birthed around the globe.

Tom Engelhardt has agreat columncovering this state of affairs.