Op-Ed:There Already is Blood

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Today the United States Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that he doubted the United States is seeing a 1970's style inflation where the prices of goods and wages chased each other ever up. In the 1970's the oil shortage put a great strain on the United States, but lined the pockets of the OPEC nations. They were the power behind the industrialization of modern nations, they controlled the crude oil. In essence the OPEC members had any nation that had supported Israel in the Yom Kippur war by the balls.

The Shah of Iran defended their move against the United States and other trade partners.

"Of course [the world price of oil] is going to rise," the Shah told the New York Times in 1973. "Certainly! And how...; You [Western nations] increased the price of wheat you sell us by 300%, and the same for sugar and cement...; You buy our crude oil and sell it back to us, refined as petrochemicals, at a hundred times the price you've paid to us...; It's only fair that, from now on, you should pay more for oil. Let's say ten times more."

I guess nobody informed him that if you raise the prices of the ingredients or the basics of any product, the cost goes up to compensate, say like ten times more.

The result of the power play was the decline of the power of OPEC. At least that is what we thought. OPEC is at it again, raising prices, decreasing production, and trying to hold the world, namely the United States hostage to do their bidding. Iran, one of the main players in OPEC seems to be adamant that their move will bring down the fall of the United States. On the OPEC Members list Iran is not the only country on shaky ground with, namely Iran and Venezuela.

While this move might seem like a cute way to get back at the United States, Iran, Venezuela, and other countries not in OPEC do not seem to realize the strangle hold they have the entire world. It is popular today to throw around the saying "No blood for Oil," and "There will be blood."

Reality Check, there already is blood over this power struggle over oil. Despite what some would have the world believe, Oil is a necessity. It is a resource as vital to our existence as water, as air, as the sun. Without Oil we would not have plastics or fuels both of which make our civilization what it is. Do not underestimate the importance of it, for Oil is one of the main interests of any developing nation, so naturally something so vital is a reason to wage war. Blood and Oil go hand in hand, and the price of oil has is and always will be blood. Blood is the least amount one can pay for the procurement of a resource that transports food, makes medical equipment, provides storage, and a myriad of other things that make our civilization vital. I am sure many people have seen those commercials that show the importance of plastic, how everything in the doctors office seems to melt away. That is not just for shock factor, that is reality. Right now Burma needs water filtration equipment, which would not be easy to make unless we had plastic. Has reality sunk in yet?

Well, people might say "No blood for Oil," but I'll take it a step further. "No Starvation for oil." There is a world food crisis stemmed partly by the cost of transporting food, the cost of storing food and keeping it fresh, and by the cost of allocating entire agricultural areas to grow bio fuels instead of food.

How about " No Poverty for Oil," the rise in fuel costs has sent the United States and the world into a down right recession. This is not just due to a failing housing market by any means. People are losing their jobs across the world. Right now in Canada GM workers are staring at uncertainty sparked by skyrocketing fuel prices. How will they buy the high priced food due to fuel prices without a job?

People show pictures of the poor and the starving to strum our heart strings, these same people call for "No Blood for Oil." It is not a stretch to put two and two together, either you are willing to fight for your interests or you are willing to die and let others suffer and die. The United States, Britain, India, Switzerland, China, and Japan, all the developing nations are in competition for one resource that makes the world go round. Not one can be blamed for attempting to secure their nation's interest, however can anyone say that the countries of OPEC should not expect resistance when they try to line their pockets and protect their own interests? That is what war is. It is not an act of evil and hatred, it is an act of survival.

Right now OPEC has declared war on the world and now we are dealing with food shortages, rising prices, lost of jobs, and an entire world being hindered by inflation.

There is a popular saying, if you want to know the motivation behind an action, follow the money. Chris Rock would say it leads to the Rich White Guy, but in this case, it leads to the Rich Sheik.


Disclaimer: The embeded video was made by Carlos Mencia, he is intentionally offensive but extremely honest. If you can't handle the video, don't press play.