[panick21_]

Its mostly not true. Some people assume that all US policy is actually oil policy and that the $ is valuable because of petrol. Neither is really true.

Sure in the last 70 years oil was important to US in foreign policy but its far from the only or dominate factor in most of it.

[brnaftr361]

Yeah, most people don't understand that the USD is granted value by the fact we'll come in with the world's most expensive army to kick down your doors and occupy your nation for a decade if you so much as consider stepping out of line. And one of those lines conveniently is oil exchange with that USD; which also happens to be the modern worlds biggest shared dependency.

[panick21_]

Yeah but funny enough some countries that don't do what the US wants like Cuba, Venezuela Iran, North Korea are not invaded and some of those have oil. During the oil crisis the US didn't invade countries that didn't sell oil.

At the same time the US invaded Vietnam, Iraq, Lybia, Syria and helped fight wars in places like Yemen. Some that don't have oil.

Are you seriously suggesting if France and Saudi Arabia traded in $ the US would invade either country?

At the same time the US is heavily involved with Israel/Palestine neither have oil.

So the idea that its all about oil is incredibly reductionist and a totally false understanding of US policy making.

In fact if you go threw most of the supposed 'its all about oil' foreign policy issues in more details and you look at the decision makes, oil usually isn't actually the driving force.

[brnaftr361]

Of course they're not invaded, we Banana Republic or Contra their asses, conversely we squeeze the everloving shit out of them through finance. There's also simply the concept of a persistent credible threat: look at a map of US bases. Note also I did indicate that it wasn't the exclusive determinant by using the phrase "one of those lines."

We've also fucked with Cuba, Iran, Venezuela.

Iraq did have oil and the Saudis were using directional drilling to tap it, which initiated the first Gulf War. Palestine is a proxy war.

Until the US is critically weakened, France will not trade in Francs or Rubles or etc... And Europe is dependent on the US for continued geopolitical stability.

[panick21_]

Banana Republics were about Fruit not oil. Lots things like Contra and other things the US does are for lots of reasons.

The US$ is the reserve currency and has been for quite a while and this is for a number of reasons but the idea that its all because of oil is simple not the case.

The US fucked with countries for lots of reasons, oil is an issue but not the dominant one.

Some people simply overestimate the impact of oil on policy choices.

Its is incredibly short sited and wrong when people attempt to make everything about oil when there are lots and lots of other reason that actually influence policy makers.