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Firstly on the OP I thought this wasn't so much a conspiracy theory as common sense.
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertdetroiter
I think the hornets nest aspect is overblown. Before the oil and WW2, it was a relatively peaceful part of the world. Western meddling has made a mess of the region. Still, not all of the M.E. is bad. I have friends that work over there and they love it.
Well we were meddling prior to WW2, really since WW1 where Britain tinkered with the Arab revolt from the Ottoman Empire. During the partition of the Ottoman empire, the Middle East was partitioned along artificial lines forming more traditional countries. The US just got in on the French/British action post WW2. British allies of the time were among others Abdulaziz ibn Saud (does that name sound familiar?) another being Abdullah bin al-Hussein who was the King of Jordan and grandfather of Hussein of Jordan, and great grandfather of Abdullah II of Jordan, and Faisal who was king of Iraq during it's time as a monarchy from 1921-1958.
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertdetroiter
The M.E. needs to be free to develop organically. It would be painful and bloody, but outsiders can't fix it. That much I know.
True, but the issue is that the world depends on a resource that is bountiful in the Middle East, there is a sense of universal irony in that fact. If we let them figure it out for themselves, so we can have consistent supplies of the resource it will disrupt the supply of the resource while they figure it out and we can't have that, if we maintain consistent supply of the resource, they'll never be able to sort it out for themselves and it will disrupt the supply of the resource.
For the longest, the idea of the US meddling in the Middle East for oil has been regarded as an anti-war conspiracy theory. This is the narrative from right side of the spectrum. But in reality, is it really a conspiracy theory? I mean many historians and political scientists have been contending that US foreign policy in the MENA is indeed driven by oil interest.
Everyone knows, or should know, this.
Iran, Iraq, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Nigeria, Venezuela, among a few others, are regularly in the news. What do they have in common?
Firstly on the OP I thought this wasn't so much a conspiracy theory as common sense.
Well we were meddling prior to WW2, really since WW1 where Britain tinkered with the Arab revolt from the Ottoman Empire. During the partition of the Ottoman empire, the Middle East was partitioned along artificial lines forming more traditional countries. The US just got in on the French/British action post WW2. British allies of the time were among others Abdulaziz ibn Saud (does that name sound familiar?) another being Abdullah bin al-Hussein who was the King of Jordan and grandfather of Hussein of Jordan, and great grandfather of Abdullah II of Jordan, and Faisal who was king of Iraq during it's time as a monarchy from 1921-1958.
True, but the issue is that the world depends on a resource that is bountiful in the Middle East, there is a sense of universal irony in that fact. If we let them figure it out for themselves, so we can have consistent supplies of the resource it will disrupt the supply of the resource while they figure it out and we can't have that, if we maintain consistent supply of the resource, they'll never be able to sort it out for themselves and it will disrupt the supply of the resource.
I think the hornets nest aspect is overblown. Before the oil and WW2, it was a relatively peaceful part of the world. Western meddling has made a mess of the region. Still, not all of the M.E. is bad. I have friends that work over there and they love it.
The M.E. needs to be free to develop organically. It would be painful and bloody, but outsiders can't fix it. That much I know.
****** please, Middle East has been a mess since the dawn of time, it is an important geopolitical center and the center of 3 major religions, Islamic Fundamentalism just makes things worse these days.
For the longest, the idea of the US meddling in the Middle East for oil has been regarded as an anti-war conspiracy theory. This is the narrative from right side of the spectrum. But in reality, is it really a conspiracy theory? I mean many historians and political scientists have been contending that US foreign policy in the MENA is indeed driven by oil interest.
If we were there for the oil, then we would have gotten free oil from Iraq and Kuwait.
Correction for bolded words (IMO): WW1 and European meddling.
The Middle East was "peaceful" because the current countries were operating under the Ottoman Empire, which by no means was a peaceful empire during its time.
Lest we forget it was the Ottomans that got involved in WW1 willingly on the wrong side. Frankly, after the way the Ottomans had held Europe at siege for centuries, who can blame Europeans for breaking the empire up?
If we were there for the oil, then we would have gotten free oil from Iraq and Kuwait.
Didn't happen.
The military industrial complex own the Pentagon, they are belligerent because it is their bread and butter, oil interests, corporate interests, Israel are also factors.
If we were there for the oil, then we would have gotten free oil from Iraq and Kuwait.
Didn't happen.
The funny thing about Iraq is that FRENCH and other European oil companies ultimately won the majority of contracts for oil in Iraq.
"Oil" is the macro theme of involvement in the middle east. But it's not really for the united states per se, but to ensure the continued flow of the stuff as a strategic resource necessary for trade by...well... every country in the world almost.
But yeah, we need to just abandon the area to its own devices. We are damned no matter what. Either we support and prop up secular dictators who want to kill their own people... or we support democracy and the people elect Islamist nutbags that want to kill the world. Great choices, that.
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