Wars, Oil and Trade Conflicts of the Human Race
By: Lance Winslow
Many in the World Media are quick to judge the Bush Administration on the War in Iraq; saying it’s all about oil? Much of this is a slander campaign brought on by other world leaders who had interests in Iraq, deals with Saddam and we have all heard of the oil for food scandals. Let’s face it if someone owes you money and you are doing business with them, you want to make sure the money keeps coming, the oil keeps flowing and no one messes up your lucrative deal.
Often people will say that certain wars are only about oil. Obviously this is not the only reason, but what if it were? What if we, or any nation went to war simply over oil? After all much of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor was over trade; Steal, oil, rubber. Now let’s fast forward to present day. Judging by our need for the proper supply and flow of fuel and the fact that if America stops, America starves, it would appear such a war over resources may in fact be justified. That is not to say it is right mind you. However when someone uses such distribution channels of trade as an attack, you can see how quickly we can get into a gray area over such an issue. There is a lot at stake, economics of a nation, even civilization as we know it.
Wars have been fought over land, slavery, gold, arms, drugs, trade, religion, territory, practice, race, currency, food, water, resources and fuel. Killing of your own species seems like the wrong way to go about such a situation, but since only one percent of the total humans who have lived on the planet, the flow of fuel is surely a better reason for a war than many of the previously mentioned. Although granted it certainly is no way to run a world filled with neighbors, friends and trading partners. Many a culture has been accused of goosing another in trade disputes. Currently we have a 100 Billion dollar trade deficit with Canada and Mexico and 400 Billion with China. We have billions moving to the Middle East for reconstruction and our oil purchases, purchases which we seem to have no end in sight for and apparently a rather unlimited appetite.
Lance Winslow