Pain at the pump? Thank George Bush’s foreign policy

The National Security Network has released a new report showing that the current gas price crisis is a direct result of the foreign policy blunders of George Bush and his rubber-stamp conservative supporters in Congress.

Bush's hawkish foreign policies -- from the invasion of Iraq to his belligerent rhetoric directed toward Iran -- has only exacerbated the historic instability of the most prolific oil-producing area in the world. As NSN President Rand Beers said about the report,

"We have had a 7 fold increase in the [price of oil] since the war in Iraq began and the references to a potential conflict with Iran. We have had a single day spike of $11 in reference to a question about a military incident about Iran. Americans need to understand that what is happening in the Persian Gulf and what is being said about things in the Persian Gulf are all significant contributors to the rise in the price of oil. And that is what Americans today are feeling - the result of activities and words of this administration."

What's more, the war in Iraq has made it much more difficult for the government to soften the blow of these skyrocketing energy prices. The hundreds of billions of dollars spent in Iraq are funds that we don't have available to provide relief to American families who are suffering as a result of the oil price crisis.

In a conference call about the NSN report, USAction program director Alan Carney noted that

"In order to jumpstart this economy, we need to reinvest in our businesses, technology and infrastructure. However, the war in Iraq is diverting all of our resources. The only way we can improve this economy is to end the war in Iraq..."

If George Bush hadn't chosen to start this war in the first place, oil prices would likely be much more manageable, and we'd have the resources to provide real economic relief to Americans who need it most. When it comes to skyrocketing oil prices, the blame goes all the way to the top.

Posted by Americans United For Change Web Team