The most important thing to remember is after WWII, foreign countries were in Germany for many years.  why to build up a stable economy and provide a semblance of unity...or whatever basically to make sure the country wouldn't dissolve into total chaos.

 

If a country like Iraq (which would be considered or almost considered 3rd world) is destabilized...how long do you think it will take for stabilize?  Heck, atleast Germany wasn't even considered a 3rd world country!  How long do you think it will take to stabilize Iraq?  Something like that doesn't happen overnight, unfortunately.  We have invaded and taken out the reign of Saddam...now we have to help Iraq to build up infastructure and other neccessities so, that they can do what they need to on their own.

 

Afghanistan...who knows how long that will take.  Clearly, much longer than Iraq though...  We also need to train local people's how to secure their own borders.

 

The problem with the oil situation is that the US has a huge oil reserve...shale (which will produce many times over more oil than the crude oil in the Middle East) or otherwise...  In the US, the politicians have taken so many kickbacks (democrats and republicans) to create this system where the oil company bids on this land and they get it forever, no matter how much oil it might produce.  That being said, it should be a more rental system with the gas tax rendered as soon as it is taken out of the ground.  If it is done this way...oil will go down in price, significantly.  I think the taxes rendered should be used towards finding viable alternatives.  Thus, we can stop relying on oil consumption as a nation and not starve people in other countries.

 

Ethanol fuel sounds great except that we are starving people in other countries by using crops to create more oil...that has led to food price increases all over the world.  Don you are not starving...but, what about those people in other countries who are?  These are the very same people who could have afforded basic foods but, now they can't.  This is not being responsible to the world.  Who cares what Obama thinks because he doesn't have a viable plan in action...without taxing everyone into oblivion...