The left wants us out of the Middle East because it’s our presence there that they say is causing radical Muslims to attack us. We’ve had peaceful and working business relations with the Middle East ever since oil was discovered there, it’s only been since Osama Bin Ladden formed his band of extremists that there have been serious problems effecting our peaceful relationships. We didn’t much like the Shaw of Iran being overthrown by the Iatola Khomene theocracy but we didn’t start a war over it. Wouldn’t we have sent in our troops then if it was “all about oil”?

Ok, let’s say we let the left have their way and we remove all our troops and interests out of the Middle east, what happens then? Needless to say, Iraq becomes more of a terrorist country than it was before under Saddam Hussein, and the terrorist now have a base from which to come here to carry out their Jihad, but that’s not the point. What happens here in America if we sacrifice our oil interests in the Middle East? Since fifteen to twenty percent of our oil comes from there, we immediately experience a severe oil shortage. We can’t make that up because the left won’t let us access major oil fields in Alaska because it might inconvenience the moose and polar bears there, and alter their pristine view of the wilderness. They don’t want us drilling offshore because that might disturb some fish and spoil the view of a few sunbathers. When was the last time we had an oil spill from an offshore oil rig? I can’t even remember hearing of one. Tankers go everywhere and have frequent spills so why isn’t the left trying to stop oil tankers?

Ok, so here we are with a 20% oil shortage and have to deal with it. How do we replace that shortage? Simple, we don’t. The first thing that happens is that oil prices go up to about five dollars a gallon. The oil companies make more money for producing less gas. Those Americans who can’t afford to pay it simply quit driving their cars. They decide to use the busses to get to and from work but find that bus rates have doubled too because of the higher gas prices. Industry runs on fossil fuel too and when they get to work they find a layoff notice because their company can no longer afford to employ them and pay their fuel costs at the same time. Besides, business has dropped off because people aren’t driving their cars to come to their stores and shops. Now the people go back home only to find that their utility bills have tripled because they depended on oil from the Middle East as well and now have to pay the higher price for it. Of course their grocery bill and the price of most everything else they purchase goes up too to offset the additional costs of producing those goods.

And where is all this money going? Not to the consumer, the worker, the business owners, or the government, it all goes to the oil companies because of their policy of supply and demand pricing. They’re selling 20% less but their stockholder and directors aren’t about to suffer any losses so that loss in sales is made up for in higher prices. You think the government can do anything about price controls on the oil companies? Think again. Their Washington lobby is much too strong to let that happen, and even if it did, the oil companies would only retaliate with gas shortages throughout the country for those who could still afford to drive their cars. There would be a major crisis in America much worse than the attacks of 911. The left thinks we should get out of the Middle East. Is this really what they want for America? Is it “all about oil”? No, but indirectly, that’s a part of it for the general good of the country. That is why we have to stay in the Middle East until we can develop oil resources elsewhere, or eventually viable and economic alternatives to fossil fuel that we don’t yet have. We can’t afford to let these bands of religious radicals drive us out. If we were in a fight against legitimate governments there it might be different but we’re not. We have working relationships with these governments that is beneficial to both and keeps the national economy of both healthy. The left finds it so easy to blame it all on oil, but fails to realize that their whole way of life depends on it. There’s a hell of a lot more at stake here than just oil company profits.