Quote Originally Posted by Monk View Post
Hmm perhaps an analyst that might actually understand the nuances of the region. This is actually the feelings of many Middle Eastern States. The thing that people in the west fail to percieve is that "forcing" democracy on the region will never work. They don't like people meddling in their personal business. They are also keenly aware that the U.S. is only interested in the oil and democracy makes a good excuse. They resent that, and this is a region with a long history of "an eye for an eye". The region is in many ways very young in the context of the "modern world".

Saudi Arabia was a bunch of tribes just over 100 years ago. I mean seriously, the cultures there haveuch a completely different history to the west that people over here just don't get it. There is a rich history as well as a bloody one in that region and all of it combined makes it very different to our cultures and way of thinking. They are fiercely independant. No one gave a rats ass for the region and they made it on their own, suddenly they are oil rich and everyone wants to be their friends... you think they are idiots?

-W.
This gives us every reason to find alternative energy sources to oil. Imagine a day where oil is worth $2 a barrel for certain industrial uses, and all cars run on fuel cells, batteries, etc and we get our energy from sources other than oil. It will happen one day, it may not be in our lifetimes though. Then they can sell their oil for $2 per barrel and run their own lives. I can't wait for both to happen.