OK, I readily admit that this is unfair, as you have been very candid with me, but I've trapped you a bit.
I'm sure you remember Gulf War I. That war was fought for the express purpose of insuring the free flow of oil. It was a justified war, one that most patriotic Americans supported, including both you and me I'm sure.
That was a subsidy to the oil companies. Imagine for a moment if we had left it to the oil companies to figure out what and how to deal with Sadam. They may very well have come to some terms, but probably not the terms we have today.
Really? Which oil companies benefited?