Costs to Americans of Protecting Saudi Oil Flows

[redcliffsw]

The national security state doesn't care what the cost is. It means to prevent any consolidation of ownership over oil by any country in the region. The proponents of this state do not believe in free markets. They think that an oil monopolist would emerge and blackmail the U.S. with high prices. They do not understand that no such monopolist can emerge without incurring very high costs of conquest. And they do not understand that the U.S. can act as a monopsonist. What good is owning a big pool of oil if you can't sell it to one of your major markets? And they do not understand that a high price of oil would bring alternative technologies on line and stimulate exploration for new sources. And these proponents of U.S. military force don't realize (or do not want to realize because of their vested interests) that there are numerous other ways to insure stable oil supplies without stationing fleets of expensive ships and forces year around in foreign waters. But whatever their motives are or their ignorance, the fact cannot be denied that the costs being incurred are outrageous; and as one of the cited articles points out, a number of other nations are free-riding on the costs incurred by Americans. The U.S. gets only 10% of the oil coming through the Persian Gulf.
-Michael Rozeff

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https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/costs-americans-protecting-saudi-oil-flows/