Nuclear War is so often the subject of such hyperbolic fear-mongering that it is almost impossible to discuss without sounding like Alex Jones. Needless to say, the proverbial shepherd boy has cried wolf too many times to be taken seriously about any man made catastrophe imaginable. With so many real threats we face, who cares about the mundane fact of life that nuclear war is immanently possible? We are over it. The day to day struggle to survive for so many people handily trumps the ghastly what-ifs that may never come.
Some of us may be soothed by the misconception that virtually no one in the world of consequence wants even the smallest exchange of such devastating weapons, while others are secretly thrilled by the possibility. Contemplating the disturbed mind that fantasizes about holocaust seems like the subject of a dark television psycho-drama, but deep down, we all know they exist. As uncomfortable as it is, we should consider those who not only think that limited nuclear war is both doable and potentially profitable, but also happened to wield a significant amount of power.
Jay P. Greene:
The graph above by
The Wall Street Journal at
http://jaypgreene.com/... shows the threshold of the price of oil required for these countries to balance their government budgets. The price of oil must be surprisingly high for a number of countries in the Middle East with Iran at the top of the list. Though not mentioned in the graph it is also important to note that the Russian economy relies greatly on robust oil prices. The comment above the graph makes clear the role high oil prices play in the survival of a great many American oil producers. Saudi Arabia, Libya, Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar all seem to be in the best shape, budget wise. Even though the U.S. has surpassed them in over all production, Saudi Arabia is the big gun because of their ability to rapidly regulate the entire market with enormous capacity. This incredible strength also makes them a target. And, unfortunately for them the U.S. doesn't need their oil anymore. What's worse, they are a competitor not just to America but to Russia and Iran. Saudi Arabia is like the big winner in a high stakes basement poker game whose body guard just stepped out for a smoke. Witness the recent military push by pan Arab forces led by Saudi Arabia into Iran backed Yemen.
Now, I hate to be a party pooper about that nuclear deal with Iran, but their willingness to give up their enormous investment in time and money in Uranium refinement hardware may simply be because they don't need it anymore. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been humiliated by Barack Obama's superior geopolitical skills to the point that the Russian economy is in “tatters.” Iran wants nukes, Russia has them. What prevents Mr. Putin from making a secret deal with Iran when Russia is starved for cash and every fiber of his being wants to retaliate against a gloating, swaggering, smack talking American president? Nothing throws shit in the game like weapons of mass destruction. Of course the added benefit of more nukes in the Middle East is that the heaviest hitting OPEC nations might blow themselves up and out of competition for the oil business.
Crucially, the Bush administration did not plan and carry out the attacks on the World Trade Center or the Pentagon on 9-11-2001. They didn't need to. The political will to iron-boot Iraq cost nothing to initiate up to the point where billions of dollars in damage and thousands of lives were lost because it doesn't require much to simply let one through. Turning a blind eye is only a political problem when it's too obvious why you laid down on the job. Clearly, turning Saudi Arabia and/or points nearby into a radioactive wasteland is not an expensive proposition to facilitate. However, the potential profit of such a calamity is enormous for a lot of very important players. All that the interested parties have to do is look the other way.
This diary was written with sober contemplation about the extreme horror of nuclear war. I was going to put a bullet list here at the end laying out all of the unimaginably terrible things that happen during and as a result of the detonation of a nuclear weapon, but better sources already exist, and I would just be preaching to the choir around here anyway.
2:12 PM PT: For the record: Gloating, swaggering, and smack talking are three of the things I like about President Obama. When you kick ass at what you do to the level that he does, you earn the right to do a little of each once in a while.