[kj] back to oil!!!

[B. Oliver Sheppard]

Yup, Greg, you're basically right.

Anyone who doesn't think that control of the world's major energy 
reserves isn't a major level on global power, has invented an alternate 
fantasy realm of the likes of Middle Earth. I hope they're happy they're 
living in that place.

You can always buy gas from 7-11. Controlling the gas is a different story.

Oil isn't the whole picture, but there is a reason the Middle east is 
always in the news disproportionate to its regional size. It's home to 
most of the world's energy reserves. That is always an underlying factor 
in what goes on there. If those reserves existed in Central Australia, 
or Greenland, you can be those regions would suddenly be a huge concern 
to diplomacy, the media, etc., etc.

"Every ten years or so, the United States needs to pick up some small 
crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the 
world we mean business." - Michael Ledeen, holder of the Freedom Chair 
at the American Enterprise Institute (quote at: 
http://www.nationalreview.com/goldberg/goldberg042302.asp)

This was especially needed after 9/11, but countries that have WMDs are 
too formidable. Yet, America needed to flex its muscle to remind folks 
whose boss. In any event, even sections of elite think the war is 
disastrous, and no longer support it.


-Oliver



GREG SLAWSON wrote:

>

> Peter, the Iraq wars had to do with the US needing to control the 

> sale, distribution , and pricing of oil. True, the war cost a huge 

> amount (paid for by taxpayers), but it was worth it for the US 

> capitalists, b/c their control of oil is crucial both economically, 

> militarily, and stategically. BTW, the price of gas in the US has 

> about doubled since the war started...

>

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