Letter: War, more than ever, is not the answer

Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2002 | 9 a.m.

We had a problem almost 30 years ago with gas price hikes and long lines, and it is amazing that a great country and intelligent people such as ours didn't change. Instead we choose to continue with the status quo of having a small group of people control the way energy is produced and distributed and subsidizing their interests in the Middle East with the world's most powerful military.

Never mind the environmental costs of our not choosing ecological alternatives, let's look at the political and security issues. Using our military and diplomatic channels to secure the Middle East oil network for Big Oil is not only expensive but has sent a message to the world that we support dictatorial and repressive regimes: Iran previously and most recently Saudi Arabia and Egypt. We know clearly how much hatred existed for us from Iran before, but the current hatred from Saudi Arabia and Egypt is clearly dangerous.

I would say that the best way to steer clear of fanatical Islamic fundamentalists is by having nothing to do with countries that harbor and support fanatical Islamic fundamentalists. Period.

But what about the oil? Yes, the oil. Perhaps we have made our bed from our greed and ignorance. And in our unwillingness to question Big Oil subsidies via the military industrial complex and the Foreign Service, we now have created a situation that necessitates an antiquated approach to conflict resolution: Go and kill other people and be killed in the process.

If you don't understand my reasoning, let me put it differently. We live in a time when we can not continue to solve our problems in ignorant and childish fashions. If we do, we will not create humanitarian and ecological progress, we will leave our descendants with more misery, fear and disillusionment.

ROGER BROOKS