What we always knew

The ABC website today reports that Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says securing the world's oil supply is one of the Federal Government's considerations as it decides how long to keep troops in Iraq.

To quote: "The defence update we're releasing today sets out many priorities for Australia's defence and security - and resource security is one of them," he said.

"Obviously the Middle East itself, not only Iraq, but the entire region is an important supplier of energy, oil in particular, to the rest of the world."

Well, well, well (pun intended). The planet warms burning the stuff and people die every day so we can keep on burning the stuff. Nothing more about imaginary weapons of mass destruction (which had been long since destroyed) or terrorist connections (we've given them more reasons - if for some of them there needs to be a reason other than we are different and not Muslim, but things are far more complicated than that).

Walid Aly wrote about hypocrisy from both Al Qaeda and the west yesterday in The Age - I guess there is no more hypocrisy when you can change your tune every 5 minutes with a government and voting public with a 2 minute memory. A government that says "we are not always right but we are never wrong".

It reminds me too much of the documentary "What would Jesus drive?". Young Americans who driver Hummers (an extremely fuel inefficient car) complaining about the price of "gas" saying "we own Iraq". In the 21st century, Jesus should continue to be God and Lord in the face of empire and idols, even when empire is a western government and the idol is the car.

Don't get me wrong, democracy is better than dictatorship and cars are good and useful, even fun. Indeed, a pluralistic society is better than an established faith because there should be freedom for people to believe what they like so that no one is coerced, and indeed freedom to challenge belief and change belief. In this respect, the West has it right.

However, think of the climate, think of justice even for those dark skinned people we don't know half way across the world - the ones who aren't terrorists who just want to live their lives in freedom and peace. Think about someone other than yourself.