[Suntzu]

At this point you should be concerned about the House of Sauds, once they are gone where the cheap oil is going to come from? Russia or Valenzuela?

The U.S. is a net oil exporter.

[Prosthetic Conscience]

The U.S. is a net oil exporter.

No, it isn't. Annual Energy Outlook, published a few days ago. Page 27 of the PDF - net imports are about 20% of "product supplied" ("a proxy for domestic consumption"). Whether it becomes a net exporter depends on the future price and technology.

[Suntzu]

I'm sure we can't make up the shortfall from Mexico or Canada. They don't produce any oil.

[LehmanB]

The bottom line is that "human resources" (technological innovation) beats natural resources in the age of the knowledge society.

The Arab world doesn't have a "tradition of ignorance." What could be more ignorant than to waste your resources on such counter-productive adventures like the Iraq invasion while the whole world is advising against it? It is hard to beat that sort of ignorance and greed shown by US society.

The Arab world had a highly sophisticated society and rich culture until technological disruption replaced Arab traders by Portuguese traders 500 years ago on the trade routes between Europe and Asia. Thus, even in those days it was technological innovation and not land that determined a nation's power and prosperity.

The abundant presence of natural resources has the effect of suppressing other sectors of the economy and of making a society corrupt. That's why economies based on natural resources will always lose out to societies based on human resources. If the price of you commodity drops, you can't do anything but tighten the belt, while the economy living off the ingenuity of its people will invent technological processes to use alternative resources.

For example, when Germany was cut off from resources by the allies during WWII, German scientists invented the Bosch/Haber process for producing nitrogen fertilizers, making the import of fertilizers unnecessary. Today, we are replacing fossil fuels by renewable energy. Where does that leave countries like Venezuela that depend on fossil fuel exports?

Wars like the Iraq invasion that aimed to get control over the fossil fuel reserves of the Gulf region have been very costly and ended in total failure. The US after its huge investments and after millions of dead and war refugees is losing control to Iran and Russia.

1. Do you agree that land gives resources?
So if you have a huge territory (Sibiria / Sahara desert = same size) something potentialy will be always discovered.
Hence I wouldn't count on oil's end.

2. The Islamic world =\= Arab world. The cultural center was in Spain, Persia (Algebra), or even Iraq and Egypt which are today Arab- but nothing occured in the Arab penninsula. Also, they didn't acheived dramatic developments during the midages, rather were less primitive than their Christian fellos.

3. What do you say about having LOTS of resources. In such a case, it does gives you power.

[Atlantis]

@LehmanB, give me a single example in which a nation derived its power from land and not from human ingenuity. The Mongol conquest disappeared as quickly as it came. They were assimilated or evaporated into thin air. The Soviet Union disintegrated because it couldn't compete on the technological level. The US only took the advance because it benefited from the European brain drain when the old World had torn itself apart in the world wars. And yes, that was a direct consequence of the thirst for more land. It ended in catastrophe and it always will.

Anyways, you haven't addressed a single point of my substantive argument. You are so focused on land that you can't see anything else.

[LehmanB]

@LehmanB, give me a single example in which a nation derived its power from land and not from human ingenuity. The Mongol conquest disappeared as quickly as it came. They were assimilated or evaporated into thin air. The Soviet Union disintegrated because it couldn't compete on the technological level. The US only took the advance because it benefited from the European brain drain when the old World had torn itself apart in the world wars. And yes, that was a direct consequence of the thirst for more land. It ended in catastrophe and it always will.

Anyways, you haven't addressed a single point of my substantive argument. You are so focused on land that you can't see anything else.

Hi, you didn't answer to my points here, and why do you assume I am "so focused" on land? I think too that human resources are more importnat- that's why I asked you on an extreme condition where you have MANY resources. Please replace the disc of :"I won"/"you are.."- I like debating, not arguing.

The problem I see in your comment is you dismiss completely resources, and here I disagree. I think Russia is still number #2, its still there, and is still controlling Sibiria even though the Chinese would love that. Also the USA is indeed succeeding from human resources, but also from natural resources- the combination of both have helped it to succeed. I would challange you and wonder if Europe isn't atrophied these days, losing slowly its leading into spoiled people who live good but not leading anymore the culture or science of the world. Nor I should remind you the Europeans also invade Iraq- it was a colaboration- its Germans and Sweden who have murdered hundred of thousands Arabs in Iraq and Afganistan- not America alone. And France is now bombing Africa- in Mali and Nigeria- for protecting their allied for imperial- resources reasons. And China who build artifitial islands to occupy the sea..
From what I see, everyone are fighting for resources for some reason.
Its true that for some- they are based only on resources- which is Russia today who have given up for economy or human condition- for mere resources, and the Arab world, as well as Africa and Venezuela. These are extreme examples of entities that have tramendous resources, who are mannage to be in a strong global position, despite having poor human- development (Excluding Russia that does have human resources but it neglects it now).

[Prosthetic Conscience]

I'm sure we can't make up the shortfall from Mexico or Canada. They don't produce any oil.

Those neighbours the idiot in the White House does his best to piss off? Yeah, they'll sell the USA oil. At a price. But they won't give you a special deal on it (why should they, when you've expressed your hatred for them so clearly?) so you do suffer from high world oil prices, like any other importer.

The main thing, though, is to find out a fact before spouting off a falsehood.

[skinster]

[Zionist Nationalist]

Stopping arm sale to Turkey is a good idea because they act against interests of the west

but Saudi Arabia is a western ally and none will stop selling them arms as long as they are on the right side

[LehmanB]

Stopping arm sale to Turkey is a good idea because they act against interests of the west

but Saudi Arabia is a western ally and none will stop selling them arms as long as they are on the right side

SAudia is funding at the same time global terrorism, and is funding educational- incitement- BDS system worldwide. Saudia is like "little finger" ^^. I wouldn't say its an ally, its an enemy that fights another enemy with you. Turkey is way closer to the west than Saudia.

[Oxymandias]

@LehmanB

An Arab is simply anyone who speaks Arabic. It is not an ethnic concept. There are hundreds of diverse ethnic groups all of whom speak Arabic and identify as Arabs. Also a majority of innovation in Spain came from Arabo-Berbers, not from the native Spanish population.

The Middle Ages was the decade of the Middle Eastern Golden Age. This is the time period in which the Caliphate nearly took over Europe and when the Middle East was at the height of innovation. Arabs, along with Persians, were much more advanced than Europe could’ve ever been.

[Zionist Nationalist]

The Middle Ages was the decade of the Middle Eastern Golden Age. This is the time period in which the Caliphate nearly took over Europe and when the Middle East was at the height of innovation. Arabs, along with Persians, were much more advanced than Europe could’ve ever been.

You sound like some Communist who have nostalgia for the Soviet union

The middle ages are long over and today everything is diffrent the middle east is not africa but its still far from Europe and the western world in gerneral
actually not only the western world but also the asians have surpassed you

you are basically a few steps above Africa but many steps behind the developed world

[noir]

@Albert

Holy shit. This is Sweden. "Stop the War in Yemen" protest in Malmo.

[Prosthetic Conscience]

@noir, what's unusual about a "Stop the War" march in Sweden? They're a neutral country - not in NATO. Hell, they even stayed neutral in WW2.

Are you saying they ought to be marching and saying "we need more war!"?

[noir]

Was paging to Albert.

[Oxymoron]

Yeah Man!

[jessupjonesjnr87]

Assad sponsoring and supporting terrorists thus making him a terrorist

so basically in Syria its terrorists vs terrorists I have sympathy only towards the Kurds there the rest are just worthless rats

America have a long history of sponsoring training and even establishing terrorist groups across the world, many of which they end up fighting themselves.

As they are also the world's number one military force I guess that ranks them as one of the greatest terroristic threats mankind has ever known.

[Zionist Nationalist]

As they are also the world's number one military force I guess that ranks them as one of the greatest terroristic threats mankind has ever known.

Maybe but they are on our side so dont care.

[skinster]

[Zamuel]

Another day, another airstrike on the tortured nation of Yemen at the hands of the US-backed Saudi coalition..

I do agree that it must be torturous for the innocents starving and suffering the raging diseases sweeping thru the population.

this is an intentional slaughter of civilians rather than an absurd number of missiles going stray, then Saudi Arabia’s attempt to effectively bulldoze their southern neighbours and turn Yemen into a plantation represents one of the worst genocides in modern history.

Slaughter ? Genocide ? no. It isn't carpet bombing or Military Massacres. Basically it's Saudi vs Iranian surrogates. On the sidelines are Al Qaeda and the Yemeni government. The government is almost totally corrupt (they were rated 164 of 180 on the last chart I saw) and will play on any side except the rebels (who want to hang them all.) Al Qaeda is also a rebel target, due to their deep involvement with the government.

The US doesn't have much direct involvement. We support our Saudi allies and try to embarrass Iran when possible.

Both sides are in a propaganda war so I don't place a lot of credibility on reports or people touting "Genocide." As for international assistance agencies, well they aren't exactly reliable sources.

Look at modern Iraq, look at Lebanon, look at Syria. I think there is Saudi (U.S.) wisdom in derailing the establishment of another Iranian puppet on S.A.s border.

Zam