Well, here we go again trying to make the world safe for oil companies and Israel. The ostensible reason for attacking the group calling itself the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq is “humanitarian suffering” in the oil-rich Kurdish region.

Humanitarian suffering in Syria and Israeli occupied Gaza did not move our Washington politicos. But have some uppity Islamists pose a threat to oil wells or the Jewish state and our military is dispatched pronto to set things right.

That Wall Street money for political campaigns sure is powerful stuff: a 99–0 Senate vote for moral support and $350 million in borrowed money for Israel flew right through Congress. Money for Central American kids coming across our southern border or pot holes on the interstate, well, that is something else again.

Bombing ISIS rebels is not likely to do much good except for arms manufacturers. Bombing campaigns have not stopped the Viet cong, the Taliban, Iraqi Sunnis, or the Palestinians. To resolve such conflicts, what is needed, as recently stated by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is “to address the fundamental issues.”

In both the Palestinian and Iraqi conflicts the underlying causes are the oppression of one ethnic group by another: Instead of bombing ISIS we ought to withhold our help from Baghdad until that government is responsive to legitimate Sunni interests. We ought to motivate the spiritual and financial backers of ISIS, the Saudis, to withdraw their support.

Similarly, in Palestine, instead of sending weapons, we must motivate Israel to end its occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people. Until that is done, the bleeding will continue and that blood is on our hands.