"I'm just criticizing the biggest bully of the present era, Ron...much like Nathan Hale, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and their revolutionary compadres did in the 1770s. They were the radicals then. They were the "terrorists" who dared challenge the world order of their day. They were the little guys who dared face the imperial bully of their era. The biggest bully then...the one they had to deal with...was Great Britain" - Little Hawk

Utter crap LH, the "American's" war of independence had a bit more to do with the colonists desire to expand west into the Ohio and Wabash Basin. To do that they had to break atreaty made between the British Government and the Native Americans after the the War of 1754. Britain's track record was that they tended in general to abide by the treaties they made. Radicals? certainly that, land hungry slave owners and hypocrites to a man.

"That's because now even they recognize that Carter was right all along. If the country had made itself energy independant as Carter was trying to do, none of this Iraq stuff ever would have happened." - Riginslinger

Now how would the USA being energy independent have prevented, Saddam's attack and occupation of Kuwait?

How would the USA being energy independent have prevented Al-Qaeda's attacks on the World trade centre (1993), the US Embassies in Africa, the attack on the USS Cole?

How would the USA being energy independent have negated the USA's obligations under bilateral treaties to her allies?

How would the advice given to the President of the USA, with regard to threat evaluation, have been any different in the wake of 911 than it was had the US been energy independent.

Once again for the umpteenth time - The US does not get any significant proportion of its oil from the middle-east - if you do not believe me then take a look at the daily import figures and remember that those imports count for less than 50% of the oil needs of the USA.