Since their independence, from the Ottoman Empire, after World War I, the Middle East has been in chaos. There are many reasons. Most of these countries are ruled by Monarchs and their system of ruling is a dictatorship. Another cause is that they control the biggest oil reserves in the world. This makes them very wealthy, however the wealth is not distributed equally. At the present time, this is causing an uproar, which is quickly turning into a revolution. People are hungry for Democracy and are dying to achieve it, for the future of there homeland.
Unfortunately, because of our dependency on oil, the west may be drawn into another war. At the present time, we can not afford to be involved in another war. Our military is already stretched thin, as we are already fighting in two wars. In addition, unrest is also worsened by the territorial feuds between Israel and Palestine. In conclusion, these factors will continue to make the Middle East a powder keg, for years to come until Democracy is achieved and the wealth is more evenly divided.
Raul, hopefully we will take the need for alternative energy seriously. Involving ourselves in countries for their resources may not be an effective long term strategy for strength. I definitely agree with you that stability requires that wealth be divided more evenly--everywhere!
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