Text 11456, 69 rader
Skriven 2007-02-03 00:15:00 av Josh Hill (14895.babylon5)
     Kommentar till en text av rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Ärende: Re: Cath0licism and Creati=nism
=======================================
On Fri, 2 Feb 2007 22:23:59 -0600, "Carl" <cengman7@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>
>"Josh Hill" <usereplyto@gmail.com> wrote in message 
>news:kt18s2pm9jml0035jdr4ma0auk3dcf779p@4ax.com...
>On Fri, 2 Feb 2007 21:02:27 -0600, "Carl" <cengman7@hotmail.com>
>wrote:
>
>>
>>"Josh Hill" <usereplyto@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>news:6qr7s2tfnonpo30eajjrv38pk3rs2l332o@4ax.com...
>>> On Fri, 2 Feb 2007 19:02:33 -0600, "Carl" <cengman7@hotmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>There are other consequences though.  If you suddenly reduce the
>>>value of the primary source of wealth for the oil producing countries,
>>>that would have very destabalizing results.
>
>>Thomas Friedman sees it the other way around -- he points out that oil
>>is propping up some of the world's most corrupt and autocratic regimes
>>-- Iran, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, what have you -- by allowing them to
>>"buy off" the public, avoid necessary social changes, and finance
>>terrorism, weapons construction, and islamist madrassahs. In fact, he
>>mentioned in today's column a possibility that I've toyed with on and
>>off from a slightly different angle, use of the  price of oil as a
>>lever against Iran:
>
>Not likely.  What we don't buy China will.  They're buying long
>term contracts from everywhere they can.

It's all one market. Reduce demand, and you reduce prices for everyone
-- and we're far and away the hugest part of demand.

I'd be more concerned that China et al would take advantage of lower
demand to obtain oil at bargain prices and outcompete us, but I think
there are simple remedies.

>>'In 2005, Bloomberg.com reported, Iran's government earned $44.6
>>billion from oil and spent $25 billion on subsidies - for housing,
>>jobs, food and 34-cents-a-gallon gasoline - to buy off interest
>>groups. Iran's current populist president has further increased the
>>goods and services being subsidized.
>
>> 'So if oil prices fall sharply again, Iran's regime will have to take
>>away many benefits from many Iranians, as the Soviets had to do. For a
>>regime already unpopular with many of its people, that could cause all
>>kinds of problems and give rise to an Ayatollah Gorbachev. We know how
>>that ends. . . .
>
>Except that in that part of the world you get armed religious factions
>or something like the Taliban instead.  Think Afghanistan before 9/11.
>
>As things got worse, it's quite possible they would blame us rather
>than their religious leaders.

Their leaders would certainly try to blame us (accurately in this
case). But I don't think it would help them, any more than blaming
Saddam and the weather for high oil prices helped President Bush.

-- 
Josh

[Truly] I say to you, [...] angel [...] power will be able to see that [...]
these to whom [...] holy generations [...]. After Jesus said this, he departed.

- The Gospel of Judas
--- SBBSecho 2.12-Win32
 * Origin: Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 (1:14/400)