FEW people doubt that war with Iraq is about oil - and you can bet your bottom dollar that the oil companies have been fully consulted about the strategy, feasibility and desirability of conflict. You can also bet that the weapon's makers, banks and the financial institutions have been consulted.

But. despite huge recent anti-war protests, we are unlikely to be consulted.

This is not new. We weren't consulted about the last war in Iraq, nor when we provided weapons to Saddam's regime or the Kurds and marsh dwellers were abandoned to poison gas and torture. The list of things that we are not consulted about is endless.

The rich and powerful, on the other hand, have well developed lines of communications with governments. The very rich can pick up a phone to whoever, while further down the line we have trade associations and organisations like the CBI.

By movement of capital they can make or break governments and countries, by the sponsorship of political parties they can select candidates and by their owner-ship of the media they can influence what we think and do.

Stopping war means ending the situation where a minority effectively controls events while the majority suffer them.

Ric Best, Lancaster.