As an American, the US participation in the Ukrainian conflict as well as the Palestinian genocide are beyond reproach. Many describe them as proxy wars, but I’m not there yet.
During the Cold War, there was the Afghanistan, Vietnam, South America, Cuba, etc. These were proxy wars because there was a clear adversary on the other side. The Soviet Union.
Now, who is that? Russia? China? Who is “our enemy”? I see it was war is good for business and projection of power.
Am I wrong?
Saudi Arabia is kept in line by Israel’s presence in the region. OPEC was once a thorn in the US’s side and now they’re under control, and Israel was key for that.
I think the US becoming the largest oil producer in the world might have had more to do with the decline in OPEC’s influence on the US but what do I know?
Israel was critical for disempowering OPEC in the Yom Kippur War. We would not have gotten where we are today, with OPEC firmly under control, without Israel’s critical role in the conflict.
Except OPEC still had significant power and influence in the US well after the Yom Kippur war ended in 1973, and said war didn’t even involve the majority of the OPEC member countries.
Israel isn’t the only reason OPEC has been brought to heel, but it was the last time OPEC ever used an oil embargo afaik
The spice must flow.