Blood Money

Though the president continues to stress that he did not seek out war, the evidence overwhelmingly points to the contrary.  It is difficult to accept that a leader is willing to sacrifice thousands of lives to achieve his cabal’s venal ends, but it is clearly no coincidence that the two groups who have most benefited from the war are also the fundamental source of George Bush’s power. 

Though the oil companies protest that they are not price gouging, nor war profiteering, nor exploiting the American public, they cannot hide the tremendous impact the war has had on their profitability.  Bush and Cheney may have shown themselves to be amazingly incompetent in many areas, but they have been brutally efficient at accomplishing the wildest dreams of Big Oil. 

A look at the profits of the leading oil firms tells the story.  Exxon Mobil’s operating income increased from $23.2 billion in 2003 to $49.0 billion in 2005, an increase of 111%.  Chevron’s operating income increased from $11.6 billion to $21.2 billion during this time, an increase of 83%.  Royal Dutch Shell’s operating income increased from $21.8 billion in 2003 to $37.3 billion in 2005, an increase of 71%.  The numbers for other oil firms such as British Petroleum reflect similar increases.  Those who rightfully questioned the priorities of career oilmen such as Bush and Cheney, as well as those of their underling and former Chevron director Condoleezza Rice, have seen their worst fears realized as the US military has effectively been employed by the private sector in a global energy grab.

Bush’s close affiliation with the military has buttressed his credentials as a staunch conservative and allayed any questions of his toughness.  The War on Terror has conveniently provided a continual military backdrop for a president who offers little else to the public aside from tax cuts and Republican platitudes about self-reliance and family values.  Bush has not forgotten his jingoistic military supporters and the colossal economic complex that they represent.  Just as he has truly delivered to Big Oil, Bush has accomplished an enormous transfer of wealth to the US military sector.  In fiscal 2000, the US military had expenditures of $289 billion.  By this year, fiscal 2006, approved annual military expenditures have increased to $441.6 billion, an increase of 53% in just six years.  However, these latest figures do not even count the cost of the two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Current estimates are for a combined monthly cost of $10 billion for the two wars, with the cost funded by emergency congressional appropriations.  Adding in this war expenditure yields the true picture of what Bush has done for the US military complex.  Military spending has increased to more than $660 billion for 2006, representing a total increase of 94% in just six years.