| Here it is: | | | | 9. It will democratize, instead of monopolize, Iraq's |
| 1. Give the people of Iraq a direct ownership | | | | fledgling free market economy and it will create |
| stake in the oil that's being pumped out of their | | | | natural setting in which the political democracy |
| land. | | | | that most Americans claim to support, will be |
| 2. Form a corporation and give all Iraqi citizens | | | | actively encouraged to take root. |
| equal shares. | | | | 10. It will also demonstrate to the rest of the |
| 3. As owners of the corporation they can | | | | world (and to large segments of a cynical |
| contract with Shell, Exxon, or others to develop | | | | American public) that the American people did not |
| and market the oil. | | | | attack Iraq for the benefit of a few oil barons |
| 4. Start pumping and selling oil on the free | | | | here in the US or around the world. |
| market, generate billions in revenue. | | | | Now a proposal along these lines was recently |
| 5. Then start writing out monthly dividend checks | | | | suggested by Senator Chuck Hagel (Republican, |
| to each new shareholder, starting immediately, | | | | Nebraska), and presented to President Bush |
| today! | | | | before the arrival of Iraq's Interim Prime Minister. |
| 6. The effect will be to make the people of Iraq | | | | Bush has yet to comment. But while he hesitates, |
| partners in the corporation, and it will give them a | | | | individual American soldiers, (along with Iraqi's) are |
| reason to defend the oil fields from terrorists | | | | dying or being wounded, families are suffering, and |
| because they will be defending something they | | | | billions of dollars are being loaded on the backs of |
| own and benefit from. In other words, they'll have | | | | future generations. |
| a real, live stake in the outcome. | | | | However, if this simple ten point solution makes |
| 7. Furthermore this solution resolves the problem | | | | as much sense to you as it does to Senator |
| of unemployment in Iraq, which has been | | | | Hagel, and to me Joe L. Buckett, then I suggest |
| epidemic ever since we started bombing them 36 | | | | you write your Congressmen right now and urge |
| months ago. You will also be pumping money in | | | | them to support it. Tell them also that you see |
| their economy, creating demand for goods and | | | | this as a long term, systematic deterrent to the |
| services, and jump starting their economy | | | | terrorism growing in the Middle East and see if |
| immediately. | | | | you get a response. |
| 8. On the other side of the world it will stem the | | | | For the moment, let's call it THE PARTNERSHIP |
| sea of red ink (over a billion per week) that's | | | | ACT, and on behalf of the people of the world, |
| flowing out of the US treasury, which threatens | | | | let's ask the American people to take a solid |
| to burden future generations with debt, and | | | | stand in the name of democracy for Iraq. Let's |
| undermine our own economy for decades to | | | | do it right now and avoid procrastinating any |
| come. | | | | further in this time of immediate crisis. |