A Dream for a Better World

The types of war-for-oil conflicts that we will likely see are as follows:

There may be conflicts between oil-importing nations and oil-exporting nations when a powerful oil-importing nation deems an oil-exporting nation to have an “unacceptable” political regime.  For examples, the current conflicts in Iraq and to a lesser extent, Afghanistan.  Iran and Venezuela are potential targets for future US oil wars. Note the never-ending US rhetoric against both countries. 

Conflicts between consuming nations are a great possibility.  Using their large piles of US dollars, China has been locking up long-term oil contracts in Central Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere. Saudi Arabia, interestingly, has given almost all of their recent long-term oil contracts to China rather than the US. As you can imagine, this has bothered some US-based oil companies.

Civil wars will occur within oil-producing nations to gain control of power and resources. This was the case in Venezuela several years ago and more recently in Nigeria and Iraq. It is increasingly likely to occur in other Middle Eastern nations in the future, as the totalitarian governments supported by the West (in exchange for favorable treatment on oil supplies) begin to lose control over those they rule.

While we’re all focused on Bush and his mad drive for middle eastern oil, a character with just as much imperial desire is pushing to secure their own oil supply. Venezuela is one of the major oil producers in the world and has had an internal battle driven by Chavez to nationalise all the oil. Now that it is all under governmental control, this oil is being leveraged as a weapon against uncooperative governments. So when will this charismatic and aggressive ruler start looking at moving into the neighbouring areas with his newly purchased guns and ´copters?

With Chavez becoming ever more and more eccentric and provocative in his rule, the increased ties that Cuba is making with this country can surely only leave it being painted in an even more radical light? As Venezuela and Ecuador make threatening gestures to Columbia, Americas close ally, Cuba’s image of a refuge against the tyranny of Imperial America is at risk of becoming the right hand of Chavez and his Latin Empire building. Sure there are many ideals shared between the two governments, but Chavez shows far more aggressive and imperialist characteristics of his own – something the image of Fidel surely cannot whole heartedly accept.