Western analysts are forever bleating about the strategic importance of the middle east. But despite its oil, this backward region is less relevant than ever, and it would be better for everyone if the rest of the world learned to ignore it.
Edward Luttwak writes:
"Why are middle east experts so unfailingly wrong? The lesson of history is that men never learn from history, but middle east experts, like the rest of us, should at least learn from their past mistakes. Instead, they just keep repeating them.
The first mistake is "five minutes to midnight" catastrophism. The late King Hussein of Jordan was the undisputed master of this genre. Wearing his gravest aspect, he would warn us that with patience finally exhausted the Arab-Israeli conflict was about to explode, that all past conflicts would be dwarfed by what was about to happen unless, unless... And then came the remedy - usually something rather tame when compared with the immense catastrophe predicted, such as resuming this or that stalled negotiation, or getting an American envoy to the scene to make the usual promises to the Palestinians and apply the usual pressures on Israel. We read versions of the standard King Hussein speech in countless newspaper columns, hear identical invocations in the grindingly repetitive radio and television appearances of the usual middle east experts, and are now faced with Hussein's son Abdullah periodically repeating his father's speech almost verbatim..."
Rest of the article is here:
http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=9302
Is he right? I think he hit the nail on the head!
Originally posted by SpastiGovI've always believed the Middle East should be left alone. Not ignored, but left alone. Of course I don't own an oil company. 🙂 I'm also not a US politician that has crawled in bed with an oil company.
Western analysts are forever bleating about the strategic importance of the middle east. But despite its oil, this backward region is less relevant than ever, and it would be better for everyone if the rest of the world learned to ignore it.
Edward Luttwak writes:
"Why are middle east experts so unfailingly wrong? The lesson of history is that men ne ...[text shortened]... ine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=9302
Is he right? I think he hit the nail on the head!
Do I think the writer is correct? I agree with most of the article, although he mentions oil in the beginning and then disregards it??? We're never going to ignore the Mid East as long as they sit on top of TRILLIONS of gallons of oil. Unless of course we find another method of propulsion... And if we do we'll let the Mid East rot.
Except of course for Israel. We just can't seem to stop picking at that scab.
Originally posted by SpastiGovLuttwak is right for the wrong reason.
Western analysts are forever bleating about the strategic importance of the middle east. But despite its oil, this backward region is less relevant than ever, and it would be better for everyone if the rest of the world learned to ignore it.
Edward Luttwak writes:
"Why are middle east experts so unfailingly wrong? The lesson of history is that men ne ...[text shortened]... ine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=9302
Is he right? I think he hit the nail on the head!
Originally posted by SpastiGovOPEC controls the world's oil prices. The influence the West has on them is minimal.
Western analysts are forever bleating about the strategic importance of the middle east. But despite its oil, this backward region is less relevant than ever, and it would be better for everyone if the rest of the world learned to ignore it.
Edward Luttwak writes:
"Why are middle east experts so unfailingly wrong? The lesson of history is that men ne ...[text shortened]... ine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=9302
Is he right? I think he hit the nail on the head!
Now, say Iraq (which has the second largest oil reserve in the world) was going to pump itself blind (a wee sexual pun...intended) and flood the oil market...
OPEC wouldn't be happy about that, would it?
Texan oil barens wouldn't be pleased, would they?
The consumer would destroy the environment even faster, wouldn't they?
So, it's in everyone's interest to pump billions of dollars into interfering with the Middle-East (and killing plenty of civilians at the same time) and securing oil prices.
Originally posted by der schwarze Ritterit doesn't need that, the regular people in china are lining up to buy shares. some cities are restricting real estate speculation so people need somewhere else to put their new cash.
Moreover, China could undergo anther big pandemic, and poof, all your shares in a China fund are worthless overnight.
Americans are hungry buggers who follow each other like Jesus. This gives those looking for power easy pickings to plant what's suitable. It's near-perfect info to support the majority of selfish people... but from limited cluster pools. It isnt info from ground zero or relavent to the actual situations. Democracy is a good system but not when the majority are oil-hungry American losers....
Originally posted by GascraftEh?? What the bleedin hell are you going on about????
Americans are hungry buggers who follow each other like Jesus. This gives those looking for power easy pickings to plant what's suitable. It's near-perfect info to support the majority of selfish people... but from limited cluster pools. It isnt info from ground zero or relavent to the actual situations. Democracy is a good system but not when the majority are oil-hungry American losers....
