Glen Beck did a segment on his TV show last week which I found extremely interesting and I will do my best to recant what he said.

Beck’s contention was that the Saudis are behind an intentional effort to drive down oil prices with the intent of breaking the Iranian economy.

He went on to explain that the Saudis are predominately Sunnis and Iran is predominately Shias and therein is the conflict that is in Iraq where the Shias are a majority. He explained that the Saudis fear a Shia super-state of a combined Iran and Iraq.

Iran’s main source of income is oil and they are the number 2 supplier in OPEC but Iran has an Achilles’ heal; they have a limited ability to refine oil into gas. It is estimated that Iran imports 40% of gasoline needs.

By driving down the cost of oil it will put tremendous pressure on the Iranian economy to the point where Beck speculated that it could collapse and lead to the overthrow of the government. This is a sound theory, but only a theory, although I must admit a very good one.

The downward pressure on the cost of oil started in November which happens to coincide with a reported trip that VP Dick Cheney made to Saudi Arabia that same month. As the Dems are so quick to point out Cheney has a lot of friends in the oil business.

Related

What a nuclear Iran would do By BARRY RUBIN

A few years ago I ran a simulation game for a European military command. At the start, I gave the premise of the exercise as being that Iran had just obtained nuclear weapons. Then I asked the US “leader” how his country would respond. He explained that he would first consult with America’s European allies.

So I turned to the European “leader” and inquired what the European Union would do. Regardless of his personal opinion, he played his role accurately: “Nothing at all,” he said.

In a real sense, that’s the point. As unwilling as anyone is to act seriously now to stop Iran’s drive for nuclear weapons - unless you define UN sanctions that merely interfere with the travel plans or bank accounts of the handful of people running the program as serious - they will do even less when it is too late.

And what will happen when it is too late? This is not a matter just of Iran possibly firing nuclear-tipped missiles at Israel, or more extreme officials handing such weapons to terrorists. These are extremely dangerous outcomes that might or might not happen. What should be more compelling is what would definitely take place: a gigantic shift in the regional balance of power against Western interests, and toward violence and instability.

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Glen Beck, Saudis, oil prices, Sunnis, Iran, Shias, Iraq, OPEC, VP Dick Cheney, Saudi Arabia, nuclear weapons, UN sanctions, Israel, terrorists   

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