PelicanHazard
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2008
- Messages
- 2,507
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Car(s)
- '13 Dart, '03 Ranger, '20 390 Duke, '22 K16GTL
1) We get a lot of oil from SA, which makes them an important partner. We would be less dependent on them if we got more energy domestically or from Canada but Obama fought against both fracking and the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada.
More than one way to approach a problem. Obama wanted to transition the country to renewables, which would have reduced our dependence. It doesn't have to be just fracking and Canadian oil, especially since the oil sands and shale deposits are more expensive than Saudi oil and price downturns can idle them, in essence putting the US back on square 1 buying from the ME until the prices increase again.
2) SA is an important regional ally. Trump seems to be trying to pit the entire region against two common enemies: Iran and ISIS, and in doing so bring about at least some level of cooperation and partisanship. Take as an example his flight from Riyadh to Tel-Aviv - pretty historic and allowed Netanyahu to immediate make a press statement wishing that he'll be able to make the same flight in the future.
ISIS, yes, but I'm worried about the long-term prospects of isolating Iran again.