This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025 at 08:00 and is filed under Think about it..
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Those curious as to why the United States has been involved geopolitically in the Middle East nearly constantly since the 1980s, would do well to look at this map. And what have been the underlying drivers of this trend? The petrodollar regime and the obligations it places upon the U.S.
An agreement reached largely in secrecy and without public debate, the so-called “petrodollar agreement” saw the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the other Sunni Arab nations within OPEC agree to transact business only in U.S. dollars, and no other currency. This gave the U.S. enormous leverage economically, and enriched the ruling class and the bankers, but it imposed the “duty” by the U.S. to defend against all threats, whether domestic or foreign, those same nations.
In brief, it meant that if the King of Saudi Arabia got nervous about Saddam Hussein’s sabre-rattling, he could call the U.S. and Uncle Sam and his military would come and fix whatever the problem was. If POTUS refused, the petrodollar arrangement would end, and so would all of the cheap-and-easy credit available to fund the federal government. And the big banks could say good-bye to all of those huge accounts from the Middle East.
Between the Israeli lobby, which is also very powerful, and the Arabs, it is little wonder the U.S. hasn’t had an independent foreign policy in over half a century. And until these foreign hands are removed from the rudder steering our ship of state, America will not have an “America First” foreign policy again.
July 2nd, 2025 at 12:02
Those curious as to why the United States has been involved geopolitically in the Middle East nearly constantly since the 1980s, would do well to look at this map. And what have been the underlying drivers of this trend? The petrodollar regime and the obligations it places upon the U.S.
An agreement reached largely in secrecy and without public debate, the so-called “petrodollar agreement” saw the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the other Sunni Arab nations within OPEC agree to transact business only in U.S. dollars, and no other currency. This gave the U.S. enormous leverage economically, and enriched the ruling class and the bankers, but it imposed the “duty” by the U.S. to defend against all threats, whether domestic or foreign, those same nations.
In brief, it meant that if the King of Saudi Arabia got nervous about Saddam Hussein’s sabre-rattling, he could call the U.S. and Uncle Sam and his military would come and fix whatever the problem was. If POTUS refused, the petrodollar arrangement would end, and so would all of the cheap-and-easy credit available to fund the federal government. And the big banks could say good-bye to all of those huge accounts from the Middle East.
Between the Israeli lobby, which is also very powerful, and the Arabs, it is little wonder the U.S. hasn’t had an independent foreign policy in over half a century. And until these foreign hands are removed from the rudder steering our ship of state, America will not have an “America First” foreign policy again.