The Road AheadNo Arab oil? [Archives:2003/639/Business & Economy]
Raidan Al-Saqqaf
First of all, I'd like to thank all the readers who have sent me constructive and encouraging feedback for my column, especially when I talk about boycotting American products and reducing dependency on the US dollar. One of these letters was about the US response to our boycott, i.e. boycotting Arab oil!
Many emails and website addresses have been floating around all conveying a simple message to the American public, that they should boycott the 'American' companies that import oil from the Persian gulf, i.e. from Arab and Islamic countries, and above all, Saudi Arabia, because, as they claim, every time they fill their cars with fuel imported from Saudi Arabia, they send money to those who love to terrorize their lives and kill their loved ones.
What they publish are mere statements of opinions, which reflect nothing but their petty minds and narrow mentalities. However, I agree that those Islamic extremists are of some danger, but, once again, aren't these the end product of the US foreign policy for the last 50 years or so? Even today, I find it quite surprising how Americans keep pushing and promoting democracy all over the world; the concept which means that governments should be formed by the people for the people, not by the Americans for the people; Hint: Iraq.
Winston Churchill once said that nations have no permanent friends, only permanent interests; this may explain some of the foreign policies of the US, and how each time their interests change, they try to suppress the people of the world as to make them subservient to their own biased ideologies! And each time someone from the Arab/Muslim world differs with them or objects to their views, this someone becomes “The Enemy”. And interestingly enough, this same thought pattern is turning towards its Allies in Europe; Hint: France.
Mind you, I still have nothing against the American people. Nevertheless, if they wish to boycott Arab oil, then fine, we have other markets open and welcoming our oil, although the US is the world's largest consumer of oil, and Arab countries; the world's largest producer, this boycott will only result in increased supply of the Arab oil with less demand resulting in a loss for Arab countries exporting oil in the global oil market, however, as a consequence, the demand for oil in America will be way in excess of the supply from non-Arab and Muslim countries, resulting in an increasing price of oil for the US. This is simple economics, disregarding the loss American oil companies in working in Arab countries may face.
Endnote: As someone quoted; those who wish to boycott oil companies, oil producing nations and other countries and cultures, why don't you just boycott all oil imports from the Persian Gulf and sit and freeze in the dark. That way, the rest of the world can live in peace without having to listen or read your infantile comments.
——
[archive-e:639-v:13-y:2003-d:2003-06-05-p:b&e]