Iran would be broke if it were not for talk of war

[Plane]

An article from the New Yorker , interesting anyway.

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The jump in oil prices wasn’t entirely a geopolitical phenomenon—the cold snap in the U.S. was also a big factor—but it was driven in part by an increase in what oil traders call the “risk premium.” When buying and selling oil, traders don’t just look at today’s supply and demand. They also try to forecast the future. And if buyers think there’s a chance that supply is going to be lower down the line—because, say, Iranian oil fields will be shut down—they will be willing to pay a higher price today in order to guarantee that they will have the oil they need. That’s why, in the run-up to the Iraq war, oil prices jumped more than fifty per cent. In the current confrontation between the U.S. and Iran, these same concerns create a perverse set of incentives: whenever the U.S. says things that make a military conflict with Iran seem more likely, the price of oil rises, strengthening Iran’s regime rather than weakening it. The more we talk about curbing Iranian power, the more difficult it gets.

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What really keeps the risk premium high is the American penchant for public responses to Iran’s provocations. So cooling down the martial rhetoric—even if we plan to take military action eventually—would likely bring oil prices down for a time, making Iran weaker. History shows that regimes that inflate their promises to their citizens during periods of high oil prices often have a hard time when prices fall.


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http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2007/02/19/070219ta_talk_surowiecki

[Mucho]

Yet another poor result for Bushidiot incompetence.

[Plane]

Yet another poor result for Bushidiot incompetence.

Have you ever heard of President Bush threatening to go to war with Iran?

[Mucho]

Yet another poor result for Bushidiot incompetence.

Have you ever heard of President Bush threatening to go to war with Iran?

Calling them a part of this Axis of Evil and attacking their fellow Axis neighbor might make them feel threatened, mpn ami?

[BT]

Calling them a part of this Axis of Evil and attacking their fellow Axis neighbor might make them feel threatened, mpn ami?

They called us the great satan first.

We should nuke them.

[Mucho]

Calling them a part of this Axis of Evil and attacking their fellow Axis neighbor might make them feel threatened, mpn ami?

They called us the great satan first.

We should nuke them.

Patience- That's next for your Retard Prez.

[BT]

Perhaps.

I would prefer to wait a bit more, you know, give diplomacy a chance, but this namecalling is tantamount to acts of war.

Axis of evil, no wonder Iran wants the bomb, for peaceful purposes of course, brush clearing at the oasis, weed control in the fig field, that kind of thing.

[sirs]

Is not the actions of Iran taking British soldiers tantamount to an act of war?  A serious question, looking for a serious answer   

[BT]

A serious question, looking for a serious answer   

It could be. Depends on the exact circumstances. Location, location, location.

[sirs]

A serious question, looking for a serious answer   

It could be. Depends on the exact circumstances. Location, location, location.

Details too vague currently?  Iraqi waters vs Iranian waters?  What happened to international waters?     

[BT]

Details too vague currently?  Iraqi waters vs Iranian waters?  What happened to international waters? 

That seems to be the crux of the issue. I would think Iran has a right to arrest trespassers in its own waters.

[sirs]

Details too vague currently?  Iraqi waters vs Iranian waters?  What happened to international waters? 

That seems to be the crux of the issue. I would think Iran has a right to arrest trespassers in its own waters.

Tis true.  Question of course becomes where specifically is the watery boundry.  For instance, how close to California do you need to be before you're in American waters?  And one would think that these soldiers had GPS, and knew precisely where they were, as did their commanders on the English Naval vessels.  That's an assumption on my part of course.  Perhaps someone with some military/naval background could shed some light on that notion

[BT]

Tis true.  Question of course becomes where specifically is the watery boundry.  For instance, how close to California do you need to be before you're in American waters?  And one would think that these soldiers had GPS, and knew precisely where they were, as did their commanders on the English Naval vessels.  That's an assumption on my part of course.  Perhaps someone with some military/naval background could shed some light on that notion

I'll take a wait and see atiitude until more facts surface.

Probably a Rovian dirty trick to force the Brits to come on board for the Iran Invasion. But ya never know.

[sirs]

I'll take a wait and see atiitude until more facts surface.   Probably a Rovian dirty trick to force the Brits to come on board for the Iran Invasion.

Well "obviously"     

[Plane]

Yet another poor result for Bushidiot incompetence.

Have you ever heard of President Bush threatening to go to war with Iran?

Calling them a part of this Axis of Evil and attacking their fellow Axis neighbor might make them feel threatened, mpn ami?

Calling thm "evil" is merely being frank.
Their government still organises rallys where thousands chant that they want you and I to die.
That isn't evil?