Middle East conflict

[rgmwa]

Yes the US has been in the Middle East for decades ‘helping’ the Arabs extract their oil and gas reserves. I’m sure they would like to get their hands on the Iranian oil too but the regime there doesn’t want their help, Iran is a disruptor in the region, and a threat to Israel and US interests, especially if they get nuclear weapons. I don’t think the oil is a reason for this war starting. It is about the threat to Israel generally with or without nuclear weapons but especially with them. That’s Trump’s stated aim for getting involved but he’ll grab anything else he can get.

[nomadpete]

8 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

The way I see it is that he wants to be able to control the oil from Iran in the same way as Venzuela.. and control the supply to China..

Do you think that poking a tiger ever works out well?

[nomadpete]

7 hours ago, old man emu said:

Theodre Roosevelt once said, "Speak softly, but carry a big stick". Trump's versoion is, "Yell loudly and thump with your big strick".

Perhaps donold's spineless yess men didn't tell him that China now has a pretty big stick too.

[Jerry_Atrick]

6 hours ago, rgmwa said:

Yes the US has been in the Middle East for decades ‘helping’ the Arabs extract their oil and gas reserves. I’m sure they would like to get their hands on the Iranian oil too but the regime there doesn’t want their help, Iran is a disruptor in the region, and a threat to Israel and US interests, especially if they get nuclear weapons. I don’t think the oil is a reason for this war starting. It is about the threat to Israel generally with or without nuclear weapons but especially with them. That’s Trump’s stated aim for getting involved but he’ll grab anything else he can get.

I don't disagree with this. Of course Iran is a threat to Israeli interests (i.e. survival) and US Interests. But what are US interests? Israel? Only to the extent Israel supports the US and contributes technology to US military. What other interest does the US have of the Middle East? Is it protecting it out of the goodness of its heart; or because of the extraction of oil from the Arab states there? As well as the profits that flow from services supporting their construction and oil industries. 

 

So, if the US is protecting its interests, it is really protecting oil, right? But what other interests does the US have? Well, it has an interest on containing China's industrial might, because, as we saw in WWII, indistrial might helps win world wars. It can't stop China getting hold of solar panels and rare earth minerals unless it invades China, which I think even Chumpo would work out isn't a great idea. 

 

Also, I would suspect there owuld be one or two other gulf states that would also be happy if the Iranian regime toppled. Who is to say they didn't lend their voices to this?

 

 

1 hour ago, nomadpete said:

Do you think that poking a tiger ever works out well?

I din't say it was a good idea. Let's face it; Chump's belligerent ideas are rarely any good. I was just proferring up a theory that isn't mainstream - but one that I thought may have some weight even at the beginning of this conflict - although I hadn't really thought about the China angle. 

 

But, I can think of one case where poking the bear good and proper would likely have solved at least one conflict.