OK, so I usually go to Holiday or SuperAmerica, but I'm going to make a concerted effort to avoid CITGO stations.

It's the US subsidiary of the Venezualean gas company. Venezuela is the local oil giant, and home of President Hugo Chavez, who just called ours el diablo and recommended psychiatric evaluations as well.

Now, I'm no fan of the way things are going in the country, and I'm sure to the rest of the world we seem like imperialists, but I know he's only got two more years during which he can cause trouble of the scale that he's been causing it. Then, in theory, our democratic process will take over and provide the people a means to use the system to change the direction, and therein the perception, of our country's role in the world.

Do I think that Iraq, after losing in two gulf wars and the overall invasion, should become and remain a protectorate of the United States? I'm not sure. Not unlike Japan after losing WWII, we should probably maintain a military base there. Maybe the base should be out in the desert, in the south, near the water, well away from the people in the towns, but close enough to provide the presence necessary to deter future action. Not unlike bases maintained in Germany, also after WWII, this could provide the deterrance to the buttheads in the region by having a significantly strong force to give cause for second-thought before misbehaving. Just like we have in Cuba, surround the base with a no-go zone--a killing field in which whatever enters, well, dies.

This would allow us to remove our bases from Saudi Arabia, or at least reduce it. It would allow us to protect Kuait. Having it in the south, near the water, would give us an excuse to keep a Navy presence, giving each coverage against offensive action.

I'm no military expert, and I'm largely basing this on optimistic responses and general super-power assumptions...

But I'm still not spending any time or money at CITGO.