The Root of All Evil?

Oil up at 113 dollars a barrel and holding...

"Brent crude oil prices have clung above $113 per barrel for five days in a row as the fighting in Iraq intensifies."



http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/gas-prices-rise-due-violence-iraq-article-1.1835087

Remember when they said oil would never reach $50 a barrel?

"The growing threat of civil war is unnerving residents in Kirkuk and Baghdad – but it should also worry consumers around the world. Iraq is one of the world's key oil producers, and until recently its growing crude exports had helped to keep global petrol prices from rising too high, ."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/18/dwindling-iraq-oil-reserves-cause-price-spike

That was a while back

I would'nt like to be working on the oil refinery near Bagdad where they are fighting, hope they got the xpats out of arms reach.

Too true.

In 1980 I was in Kuwait when Iran and Iraq were going toe to toe. Kuwait were drawn into it as they had been helping Iraq with supplies.

Incredible that almost all of my working life Iraq has been at war.

I truly believe that the problems in the Middle East will continue until today's equivilent of Enola Gay flies overhead, I really do not see all these different factions getting together around a table, and of course there is the ever present threat of Israel.

You might well be right.

When I was leaving University we swapped with each other on what we were going to be doing in the future. I had work in the oil industry in Libya lined up. A mate of mine had been studying politics advised me against it cos as he said the middle east was a tinder box. I didnt really believe him. But how right he was and that was virtually 35 years ago.

I have little doubt now that Chinese will not back down. Two drilling rigs in Vietnamese waters now.

Its like you said John, Its been going on all your life, that fact alone speaks volumes.

All over religion.

Yes. This recent spat in Iraq has brought it home to me. All my working life.

Yes. I just spotted it and edited it. Yes.

The other oddity or noteworthy point for me is that almost for as many years Gaddaffi was pretty much the longest serving head of state - in Libya...well he was just before they caught him and shot him.

Yes and generally my views on the world were formulated in those earlier years of mine. And to a certain degree colour my judgement on the Philippines today. I know there are differences between these countries but there is a common thread there too.

You make a lot of assumptions about the Philippines and its people. How many years did you live in this country?
Yes i know, that some foreigners have had bad experiences here in the Philippines, however that is their experience and not the overall experience of many expats who work, live or retire in the country.
Stereotyping the county or its people is wrong in my opinion.

I havent had any bad experiences of the Philippines. Nor of any other country for that matter. But that doesnt mean that with a modicum of common sense one cannot build up a picture from a myriad of sources.

I have spent a lot of time in countries at war, in civil war or on the virge of war. In countries where poverty is rife and 3rd world and developing countries. I read and listen to many peoples perspectives on many countries. I am married to a Filipina and have a large extended family in the Philippines. My wife knows a lot of people there some of whom hold key political positions or other key positions - thos people are forthright about their own country.

And yes I have been to the Philippines. Many of facets are repeated in many other countries.

I realise there are very good elements of the Philippines and bad too. One only has to read the Filbrit forums to be informed. There are many posts on this forum that tell the story. And many who are on their way out of or have left the Philippines.

I dont make assumptions mate. I do exactly the opposite. I would never assume that because someone on a Filbrit forum tells me its great in Mindanao, that it is.

A good friend of ours spent 14 years in the Philippines. All of his stories tie in with ones that I read in the Filbrit forums, what my wife tells me and through my experiences in many places across the world. The Philippines is not unique. Perhaps unique in its blend of facets but the individual facets are not uniqu and are replicated elsewhere across the globe.

My wife isnt anti Philippines. But she is a realist and is honest about the country.

And it doesnt take any time in the Philippines at all to work out that living in Mindanao is hazardous from many perspectives.

Maybe Obama's cunning plan is for all factions in Iraq to knock each other out?

I think Iran would easily defeat Iraq at this point in time. I was rather surprised how easily Iraqi troops were ove run over the last couple of weeks, must be all that good training they had from the US and Britain.

Just been watching BBC. They were saying that the Iraqi troops have no arsenal. And that Obami is showing no sign of stepping in.

It seems to have the hallmarks of a gruesome civil war.

I think we should leave them to it and just defend our homeland against these religious fanatics.