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By Tom Pain
Oct. 19, 2006 I’ve heard rumors that there are idiots in America who believe the war in Iraq was waged for the express purpose of making money off of that country’s oil resources. How crazy! That is just more Bush-hating propaganda that doesn’t have a shred of substance to support it. I think the Michael Moore "doctored-mentary" started the idiocy by implying the Bush family was joining with Saudis to manipulate oil markets. The U.S. was smart enough to wean itself off Middle East oil after the OPEC embargo in the 1970’s. While those countries cutting off our oil supplies – at this time can no longer hold us hostage – we are still subject to world oil prices, which would be directly affected by another embargo. Do you get the difference? Arab countries can no longer stop us from getting oil, but they can make us pay through the nose for it. Curtailing their production decreases available supplies and demand for the remaining oil makes prices skyrocket. Net effect to the Arab countries, they probably make the same amount of money but keep more of their oil. The Iraq war was necessary to prevent such an embargo from bankrupting our economy. Who are the most powerful countries in the world? Certainly, the U.S. is on top. Russia, with its nuclear arsenal is still a formidable power. China, of course, is included. Militarily, the list falls way off after those three. Economically, the big three European countries, UK, France, and Germany, have a lot of influence, as does Japan. By population and current growth rate, India will soon join the upper tier. By resources, the Middle Eastern countries of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran control a significant percentage of the world’s oil supply. Of all those countries, which are dependent on oil imports? Every country except Russia and the Middle Eastern countries are. Which country is the most dependent on oil imports? Without question, it is the U.S. Our economy would collapse in a few short months if oil imports ceased. Certainly, China’s growth would slow drastically, but their economy is not yet to the level, and their people not yet so accustomed to an increasing standard of living, that their dictatorial government could not survive an embargo. In other words, our two biggest military rivals could survive an oil crisis, while our government would quickly disintegrate. In fact, our spoiled populace would not suffer for long the damage to our economy that would be caused by an oil embargo. If gas prices went to $7 - $10 a gallon, simply because Arab countries decreased production to drive up prices, Americans would be screaming for war and losing 3,000 soldiers would mean nothing. So, what would be the likely scenario of an oil embargo occurring? The Saudis would not instigate it. Their government is stable and has strong ties to the West’s financial markets. They know a good thing when they see it. Before the Iraq war, it was conceivable that Saddam Hussein was crazy enough to shut down his country’s production. As it was, his exports were already, supposedly, curtailed except for production allowed by the Oil-for-Food program under UN supervision. The markets wanted Iraq to resume full production, but as long as Saddam flaunted the UN resolutions, that could not happen – he’d just use the money to rebuild his military. With our invasion, the threat of an Iraq-instigated oil embargo is gone, but due to the insurgency, production is still way below pre-war levels. There remains only one scenario in which an oil embargo could be organized. Iran would have to lead it. However, their economy is in shambles and other countries could make up most of their production if need be. But, could that change? It could – if Iran is successful in its goal of uniting much of the Arab world in an Islamic theocracy. If that happened, they would have the wealth, power, and natural resources to control world oil markets. Do you have any doubt that keeping the US economy rolling along by supporting reasonably priced oil would be a priority for them? Of course, it wouldn’t. We are corrupt infidels. We support Israel. We should be wiped off the face of the Earth. After a short period of solidifying its own economy, the Islamic theocracy would set about bankrupting the U.S. Critical to their ability to do that is the possession of nuclear weapons. So, is the Iranian worldview attainable? With a lousy economy, how can they support such ambitious plans? They have patrons. Russia enjoys lucrative Iranian contracts and China gets much of its oil imports from Iran. Both of those countries would love to see Iran bring the US to its knees. Both countries support Iran on the UN Security Council. Yes, the Iraq war is about oil, but it has nothing to do with excise taxes, or the fact that the US imports Middle Eastern oil, since it doesn’t, as some idiots would have you believe. When intelligent people tell you that the Iraq war is about oil, they are referring to the need to stabilize world oil markets. An oil market with much of its resources in the hands of militant religious fanatics, who hate our country, would not be stable. If Iran is able to set up a puppet government in Iraq, you can start counting because our days are numbered. If they are smart, which they obviously are, they will slowly squeeze the life out of the Western economies so that a total collapse doesn’t occur which could send missiles flying. No, our days would be numbered, but our grandchildren wouldn’t have many to count. And, if anyone tries to tell you that the war is, instead, about Israel, as if America is nothing but a brain dead zombie led around by the nose by Jewish Masters, laugh in his or her face. The thought that, in actuality, we have no legitimate interest in the Middle East except to serve as Israel’s hired goon reeks of paranoia and racism. American politicians may sling mud for political purposes, as the desperate Democrats and liberal media are doing as they fight for dear life, but despite that rhetoric, they know the importance of the fight in Iraq. It does not matter which party controls Congress or the Executive branch; the war in Iraq will proceed. Sure, if Democrats are in power, the liberal snot rags will pretty the war up, progress will miraculously become evident, and 3,000 deaths will be presented in perspective to every other war we’ve ever had – none of which were any more important to our future than this one. But the war will proceed. We have no choice. ------------ About the author Tom Pain: Just an American boy with so much common sense, it hurts. Email: thomas.pain@hughes.net Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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