[gmarx]

are we though? Our alliance with Saudi Arabia was a calculation of that nature back around WWII. Recently though did the revolution in Iran cause a problem for our oil supplies? Is there a scenario in which a middle east war or lack of such war affects our access to oil?

[gozur88]

The "war for oil" thing is looking at the wrong end of the telescope. The problem in the middle east is oil gives the rulers of these countries a way to purchase security organizations and strong militaries they could never afford based on normal economies. It's not just the middle east, either - it's also places like Nigeria and Venezuela.