Threats don't have to be used, or even usuable, to be effective. Think of nuclear weapons. The unspoken threat is particularly effective if yoi convince the other side that you're half crazy. The US has done a good job of that recently. jks
Michael Pollak <mpollak at panix.com> wrote: On Tue, 1 Apr 2003, Carrol Cox wrote:
> I still am attracted by the point Justin phrased well: having an army in
> the midst of mideast oil puts the US thumb on the carotid artery of the
> EU, Russia, and China.
How so? Russia has more oil than Saudi Arabia. It would be more like the vein running to their ankles. And cutting off China and Europe would drive them both into Russia's arms. That'd be a great plan.
There are no circumstances in which the US would lead an oil embargo in peacetime, especially against Europe. It would destroy the world economy and ours as well.
It would only make sense to do in wartime, if one of these countries was threatening to defeat us in a worldwide conflict. Which couldn't be farther from reality. For the US to worry about this now would truly be power-miserliness gone mad.
Michael
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