Monday, December 06, 2004
Science Oil Theory
interesting op/ed piece from friedman in the ny times today on science foundation budget in the states and its implications, it should be read all the way through because it offers an interesting theory on oil towards the end...........which i would like to see what some of you think about it.......
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/opinion/05friedman.html?8hpib
my thoughts are that it would be hard to disagree that more money shoud always be spent on scientific R&D, and obviously any ability to make the major economies less reliant on oil producers particularly some of the less stable politically would be for the better.........that being said, i would like to know if about friedman's comments and the person he mentions which state that in large measure the fall of the soviet union and the move towards middle east peace came about in the late 80's and early 90's because of the fall in oil prices and the lack of economic ability which befell the major players then and now is correct......? while it may seem like a valid reason perhaps it is too simplistic.
was i too idealistic then to simply believe that the system of communism failed not only because it was an economic failure but because it was ethically & morally bankrupt as well?
too as noted, it mentions the oslo agreements, and while the palestinians have always gotten money from the saudi arabians, isnt it possible that it was time to make peace for many other reasons? didnt the first gulf war actually end before the oslo agreements were made? if anything the saudis had no inclination to help the palestinians not because of oil prices but because the palestinian leadership largely supported iraq during the first persian gulf war.
and the israelis are not an oil producer of any magnitude, we werent economically driven to make peace because of the low oil prices - were we?
point is that while it is an interesting theory it is in fact only one reason of many for the world working the way it does, looking at the world as if all things move because of oil is just as shortsighted as accepting marxist theory that all things work because of money and that nothing else matters.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/opinion/05friedman.html?8hpib
my thoughts are that it would be hard to disagree that more money shoud always be spent on scientific R&D, and obviously any ability to make the major economies less reliant on oil producers particularly some of the less stable politically would be for the better.........that being said, i would like to know if about friedman's comments and the person he mentions which state that in large measure the fall of the soviet union and the move towards middle east peace came about in the late 80's and early 90's because of the fall in oil prices and the lack of economic ability which befell the major players then and now is correct......? while it may seem like a valid reason perhaps it is too simplistic.
was i too idealistic then to simply believe that the system of communism failed not only because it was an economic failure but because it was ethically & morally bankrupt as well?
too as noted, it mentions the oslo agreements, and while the palestinians have always gotten money from the saudi arabians, isnt it possible that it was time to make peace for many other reasons? didnt the first gulf war actually end before the oslo agreements were made? if anything the saudis had no inclination to help the palestinians not because of oil prices but because the palestinian leadership largely supported iraq during the first persian gulf war.
and the israelis are not an oil producer of any magnitude, we werent economically driven to make peace because of the low oil prices - were we?
point is that while it is an interesting theory it is in fact only one reason of many for the world working the way it does, looking at the world as if all things move because of oil is just as shortsighted as accepting marxist theory that all things work because of money and that nothing else matters.
// posted by Zevchi @ 2:58 PM 
