Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Broken_Clock who wrote (779114)	4/8/2014 7:51:57 PM
From: i-node	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1574258

>> A destabilized ME is a precursor to WW3. Perhaps, but the Iraq War didn't destabilize the ME. The ME is not stable but it is for a lot of different reasons and the Iraq War is a minor contributor, although I will agree at this point that the mishandling of it by Obama has had a destabilizing effect. ME is stability is probably most threatened by coming fights over water rights -- water rights will make these border squabbles look like they are WW3, for sure. The threat of reduced oil revenue over time make it far more difficult for dictators to keep populations in check, as do growth in populations (which require more oil revenue if dictators are to be able to control the populations). So, there are a lot of things at work, but the Iraq War isn't a major influence. You have it in your head that the Iraq War made Iran a bigger threat. What makes Iran a bigger threat today are (a) the inability for oil revenue to keep up with population growth, and (b) nuclear ambition. Bush's Freedom Agenda is destabilizing in the short run, and it is not dead. It will continue for decades and the communications revolution contributes greatly to it. In the long run these countries will have to develop economies other than petroleum or there is going to be far more unrest than there has been over the last few years. Those countries are apt to be boiling for decades.