First, this is just one perspective, with limited qualifications – not doctrine. Read for yourself, decide for yourself. I will add links where I can. If you drive, buy food or do anything beyond live in a cave, this affects you.

• Is this an economic war?
• Is it a conspiracy?
• Are we runningout of oil?
• Is this all caused by something else?
• Can it be resolved? Can we do something?

The oil issue hits everyone. When oil goes up, so does gas. When fuel goes up so do prices for airplane tickets, food, cruises, deliveries, etc. This has been a global issue, though Americans are less accustomed to the higher prices. It has even created huge enough impacts on food on some countries to instigate riots.

Until the 1980s there were two economic super powers. Through the 90s the U.S was the primary economic super power, which took quite a bruising with the 9/11 attacks. It then devoted a vast amount of resources to the fight in Afganistan, and later in Iraq (both missions consume fuel on a large scale, by the way). All the while China and Europe (the euro) has been on the rise. Many countries would love to see the dollar fall, which could destabilize or devastate the U.S. economy, and this could be done by tying oil to another powerful currency, again – the euro. This is the conspiracy theory, or the economic war theory. Iran has established a trading facility to do just that.

Could it be that we are running out of oil? Absolutely! Or maybe we there are other resources that we haven’t tapped yet because it hasn’t been economical, which tends to be the case. Oil sands locations have been known about for some time, and we have not made use of them until know. There are vast quantities of oil remaining in the U.S. and Canada, it’s just harder to get to and refine. 

Anytime there is a conflict oil prices tend to rise to some degree, but the larger the campaing, the larger the rise. In the Middle East it only gets worse. There are a number of ‘triggers’ for high oils prices. There is even a good possibility now that many investors are investing in oil while the Dollar is down. This increases inflation. The dollar and oil often travel in different directions on the stock market. If and when the Fed starts to increase interest rates (increasing the value of the dollar), there is a good chance that the price of oil will decline, at least some.

If you’re asking if there is anything that can be done, quit supporting foreign oil. When you buy a new vehicle take pride in the gas mileage, not the horsepower and slow down. Ride the bus or a bike. Make less trips to the store. Use clean energy.

Think. That’s what ‘s important. Check out these sites:

Energy Independance

Oil and the Dollar