"We fought the first Gulf War not just to free Kuwait, but to make sure that a hostile nation did not gain a stranglehold on our oil supplies. This was no secret at the time."

Boy, I couldn't agree more but I remember being incensed that we didn't have the balls to say so publicly. I think our foreign relations woes we're experiencing today would be so much more tame if we'd only talk with the rest of the world as though they're adults.

How about this for an announcement of our plans to free Kuwait:

"Ladies and gentlemen, nations of the world. We are addicted to oil and it's in everyone's best interest for us to remain so far at least the near future. The United States is the catalyst for the world's economy and, if we're held hostage by an armed and hostile nation invading one of the primary sources of our addiction, there could be economic chaos. That chaos will not remain within our borders but will bring hardship to all nations.

Our plans are to bring a large military presence to the Mideast, dislodge this incursion, disarm this thug, and then go back home. We would prefer the region take care of this problem themselves but they seem ill-equipped to do so. Israel could handle it but that would create more problems in the long run.

Our long-term plans are to rid ourselves of a substantial amount of the dependency on Mideast oil but that cannot be done overnight. That said, it would be incumbent upon the nations of the Mideast to begin to wean themselves of our support after this conflict. We will not use this as an opportunity to embed ourselves in your culture. We have enough problems of our own."

Art