Originally Posted by Paul Markham

This is all about oil. The whole region sits of a very valuable resource. Ruled by people who still believe in a Dark Ages philosophy. The delusion is that Western Style Politically Correct leaders can rule over them.

There isn't one "PC" correct country in the whole region, not even Israel, Turkey and Russia qualify.

They're all failed states, apart from Israel, only kept alive by the vast amounts of money poured into them for their oil, which they never found on their own. Once it runs out, the funding for their wars runs out with it.

The problem for us is the oil reserves are vital for our economies. Once the conventional oil is gone. The new reserves are expensive and hard to get at. So the West needs friendly despots, like the Saudi Royals, in these countries. to maintain our standard of living, along with China, India, Brazil, etc.

We have built a lot of economies on cheap oil fueling consumerism, and food production. When it collapses, more are effected than we think. Imagine food doubling in price and very few able to buy membership to a dating site. While starving people are on streets rioting, with guns.