I'd argue that oil is nothing more than an excuse these days. Anyone who hasn't seen "Why we fight?" should watch it. It's less about oil and more about having a war based economy and secondary services than need constant conflict and who profiteer on 'reconstruction' etc
What it's NEVER about is afghan girls getting an education or toppling dictators because they are terrible or democracy.
war based economy = WAR IS PEACE
I know what you're saying, Orwell teaches this concept in 1984. The US doesn't actually need the oil. Canada can supply them with more than enough, and they will be a net exporter in a couple years due to hydraulic fracturing. What it's about is
- Influence/control in the region
- Perpetuating the petrodollar by forcing Middle Eastern oil producing nations to price oil in USD
- Helping Israel with their beefs
- Keeping pressure against the real "enemies": Russia and China
the whole thing about USA and canada having enough oil for its own population needs. is a moot point. its about having the most EXCESS resources to sell to other countries, to basically grab their wealth.
they can value oil in raspberrycoins or facebook credits for all i care, what american war is all about is getting the physical oil.
which the US government then trades for cheap champaign, livestock, metals, whatever they please.. (picking random products out of my head)
if oil was priced in facebook credits, dollars, yen, pasata's, euro's, whatever.. i know i can look at a currency conversion chart and find a price for that barrel in my homeland coin of Pound Sterling. offer the amount of pound sterling to the oil baron that equates to the (insert currency here) and the oil baron will accept it. as he will convert it to his prefered currency.
so the currency of use is not important. WHO owns the most of it does. and thats why USA goes to war. to get a nice lucrative deal for oil to own the majority of it compared to other countries.