The Use of Mideast Oil - Essay Example

The Use of Mideast Oil Oil is the lubricant that keeps the cogs of industry oiled and the wheels of the economy spinning. The exploding demand for oil, and the record high oil prices that are reflected in the $4 a gallon gas prices have touched off an alarming series of events that threaten to tear apart the fabric of our democracy here and abroad. The nations of the Middle East account for more than 25 percent of the world's oil production, and their global influence is proportional to the world's need.

Developed nations that have developed a thirst for oil are at the mercy of the Middle Eastern nations that are able to produce it in excess of their own needs. The possession of oil production facilities and fields for future development determine the relationship that the developing nations form with the oil rich nations. Without oil, Iraq would have been one more unfortunate dictatorship in a world where oppression and exploitation is commonplace. However, the United States has taken a keen interest in seeing that Iraq is a democracy in an effort to keep the oil flowing.

American taxpayers have been willing to funnel billions of dollars in aid and infrastructure into this Middle Eastern country. The potential oil that they can produce has formed the basis of our foreign policy in relation to Iraq.Even more astounding is the propensity that the US has for arming an oil rich nation with the latest high tech weaponry available. Saudi Arabia, which produces over 12 percent of the world's oil, can demand and receive huge allotments of fighter aircraft, missiles, and JDAMS, which are some of the world's most advanced 'smart bombs' (Strobel, 2007).

The United Arab Emirates, a top ten producer of oil, has been supplied with similar weapons. These military aid packages are in return for the steady supply of crude oil. Because the State Department knows that these are politically risky and volatile nations, the US offers Israel upgraded military equipment to maintain a balance of power.By controlling and limiting the production of the world's crude oil supply, the Middle Eastern countries exert undue influence on the economy of the United States and other developing nations.

When the average family's spending for fuel goes from 5 percent to 15 percent of their total budget, it has a significant impact on employment and the retail sector. That additional 10 percent is money that won't be spent on refrigerators, automobiles, clothes, and other consumer goods. That's 10 percent of our money that gets pulled from the consumer economy and gets sent to nations that are at risk of becoming a political enemy of the US in the near future. In conclusion, the United States uses the oil that is produced in the Middle East to run our factories, drive our cars, and produce our food supply.

It is a vital component of our industry and economy. However, the nations that are the top producers of the crude oil use it to dictate foreign policy, acquire weapons, and control the world's economy. Only by subsidizing our need for energy from alternative sources will we be able to become independent of the substantial political and economic influence that is exerted by the Middle Eastern oil producers.ReferencesStrobel, W. P. (2007, July 27). U.S. to sell advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia and others.

McClatchy Washington Bureau. Retrieved August 1, 2008, from http://www.mcclatchydc.com/100/story/18457.htmlTristam, P. (2008). Top world oil producers 2006 . Retrieved August 1, 2008, from http://middleeast.about.com/od/oilenergy/a/me090607d.htm