ERD50
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Ok, this is a break-off from an earlier thread:
http://www.early-retirement.org/for...-he-doing-great-service-29711.html#post551094
The discussion went like this:
I didn't ask 'Why did we invade Iraq?', I asked, 'Did we invade Iraq because of our dependance on foreign oil?'. I think it is a reasonable question, and one that people jump to conclusions on without thinking it through.
OK, so here is my thought process:
The US gets about 11% of it's TOTAL oil from the Middle East.
Is THAT worth going to war over? It just seems that there are much easier alternatives: conservation, alt energy, just pay higher prices to other suppliers, invest more in friendly nations oil/energy supplies, etc, etc, etc.
I just don't think it makes sense.
I suspect that it is the fact that they have a valuable commodity, and THAT makes them dangerous. That commodity provides the money they can use to be a threat to us, and that drives political reasons for war.
What we are really afraid of is their MONEY, not so much their OIL. I don't think it would make any difference if they got their money from another source that didn't involve us, as long as they got money, and we think they may use it against us.
I think that also explains why we have not invaded some of the other countries you have mentioned. There may be terrible acts going on in those countries, but do those countries have enough money (and a desire) to be a threat to us (perceived or real)? I think in all cases, the answer is NO.
I'm not trying to make a value judgment here - I'm just trying to explain what I think is happening.
Enlighten me if I am off-base on this, which I may well be.
TIA - ERD50
http://www.early-retirement.org/for...-he-doing-great-service-29711.html#post551094
The discussion went like this:
I've heard this repeated so many times, but I've never heard it explained.
Please, don't just think it is obvious - think it through. I just don't think it works that way. Can you tell me why you (or anyone else) thinks so?
-ERD50
Actually, I am very serious. But I am asking from an economic view, not a political one. You started answering a different question from what I asked.
I didn't ask 'Why did we invade Iraq?', I asked, 'Did we invade Iraq because of our dependance on foreign oil?'. I think it is a reasonable question, and one that people jump to conclusions on without thinking it through.
OK, so here is my thought process:
The US gets about 11% of it's TOTAL oil from the Middle East.
Is THAT worth going to war over? It just seems that there are much easier alternatives: conservation, alt energy, just pay higher prices to other suppliers, invest more in friendly nations oil/energy supplies, etc, etc, etc.
I just don't think it makes sense.
I suspect that it is the fact that they have a valuable commodity, and THAT makes them dangerous. That commodity provides the money they can use to be a threat to us, and that drives political reasons for war.
What we are really afraid of is their MONEY, not so much their OIL. I don't think it would make any difference if they got their money from another source that didn't involve us, as long as they got money, and we think they may use it against us.
I think that also explains why we have not invaded some of the other countries you have mentioned. There may be terrible acts going on in those countries, but do those countries have enough money (and a desire) to be a threat to us (perceived or real)? I think in all cases, the answer is NO.
I'm not trying to make a value judgment here - I'm just trying to explain what I think is happening.
Enlighten me if I am off-base on this, which I may well be.
TIA - ERD50