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Britney, you wouldn't need such an elaborate pretext and staged event to marshall widespread support for an invasion of the Middle East.

All that would be necessary would be convince the American public that gasoline was going to $10/gal (or maybe $5 or $6) due to dwindling supplies, and the majority of Americans would be gung-ho to go and take over a country with nice big oilfields.

Saudi Arabia would be the best choice because they have the best oilfields, are relatively undefended, are two-faced towards the U.S. (being "chummy" on the surface but really spending billions to spread virulently anti-American Wahhabist propaganda around the world), and because we first helped them get the oil out of the ground in the first place and we had rights to it by the deal that was struck and then they went and claimed entire ownership of all that oil (dealbreaking).

Convincing the American public of the above would not be that hard because it is largely true. The hardest part would be convincing people that oil prices were going to go so high as to really hurt them in the pocket. Gasoline at $5+ could send us into a deep recession or even a Depression.

Now add the fact that the Saudis bear large responsibility for 9/11 (the hijackers were mostly Saudi, but more importantly, because the Saudi government has done such a fantastic job of spreading Wahhabist extremism and hatred of the West). So the Saudis more or less OWE the U.S. compensation for about 2/3 or the total damages from 9/11--including not only immediate damages but consequent economic damages as well.

So put it all together and I think this is right down your pike and you might care to investigate this line of thinking further.

I for one think we should quite possibly do the following: present the Saudis with a bill for 200 billion dollars payable immediately and a stern warning that if they don't pay it and stop spreading this horrid extremism in the mosques which creates fanatics and suicidal terrorists, Saudi Arabia will become the 51st state of the union. And if they call our bluff, DO IT! It would be a CAKEWALK compared to Iraq. The cheap gas would also benefit our economy humongously. And they can take that warped fanatical ideology and throw it in the trashcan, because they will have to adhere to the U.S. Constitution then!

No more religious discrimination! Women actually allowed to drive! No more official beheadings every weekend in Execution Square in Riyadh! No more religious police roaming the streets ordering people to report for prayer at the nearest mosque! No more religious police beating women with sticks for being out in public unveiled, or for showing some calf (never mind some thigh). Equal rights for everyone!

You guys blew it: you had it made in fat city with your oil and palaces, but you tried to spread too much medievalism, and that crap led to the attacks on the U.S.! See ya later, guys: time to pull your heads out and step in to to the 21st century!

Well whatcha think, Britney? That could fly and would fly if the price of oil gets too high, don'tcha think?