Not my words.
Why are we operating on the false assumption that oil is the commodity that drives the worlds economy? This myth exists only as a self fullfilling prophecy. If push became shove, there is no oil shek that would survive a revolt of their starving masses. Food, not oil should be the driving force of the world's economy. In concert with other food producing nations, America could demand much lower oil prices. There is no justifing the ability of Middle Eastern states to raise fuel prices, when they have almost no ability to raise the food to feed those who would revolt in starvation, if America, China, Canada and few other nations quadripled the price of groceries. Tractors don't run on diplomacy, and America could handle $5.00 a gallon for gas far longer than the Arabs could pay 2 months wages for a loaf of bread. The heads of Arab states could weather the price increase, but the masses would overthrow them as soon as that loaf is gone and there is still one month and 28 days till they can afford the next one. That anyone is not demanding our government develop a Food Cartel with our fellow food producing nations to better leverage the power of starvation to compell respect from nations which sit on oily sand, unable to meet their growing nutritional needs, is beyond me. I'm not suggesting that we use military force to meet our energy requirements, though make no mistake about this, if something isn't done, our masses will be screaming for such. What I am refering to is demanding a fair trade.
