GULF SECURITY PACT:                                                      

The Gulf leaders at the recent Riyadh Summit

Since the beginning of the current Gulf States they have been under the protection umbrella of the British and the United States and with the British falling by the way side years ago it has fallen to the U.S. to protect the Gulf.  But with recent events involving the Arab Spring the Gulf States trust level in the U.S. being there if they have an uprising or were attack from the outside is low and getting lower. The reality is the U.S. would take any steps necessary to keep the oil flowing West but that does not mean they would automatically support the Royals who run the Gulf States.

It has not been a secret that for years Saudi Arabia has wanted to pursue development of their own military manufacturing sector to counter a shift in American support for them. They are moving forward with that by agreements being completed to start some of the manufacturing in Saudi. To further protect the Gulf they have formed the Gulf States security pact and are using the E.U. model for their agreement. They will start with the security and in the future they will develop more ties on other issues.

At the same time they are moving to take charge of their own security they are investing large amounts of funds into alternate fuel sources, solar, wind and other green energy fuels to reduce their internal oil consumption. Studies in Saudi Arabia show that if domestic consumption grows as it has by the year 2050 they will be using all of their output for domestic use. They feel that is unacceptable, good choice of feelings.  They are moving quickly without studies and unnecessary controls that take years to manure and add billions to the cost to reduce the local use, but not with higher taxes on their citizens . They get it We don’t. They are moving to be prepared for a world without unlimited oil so they won’t have a meltdown in their economies.

Why don’t we get it? Two words, Washington Politics, and I don’t think anybody I have heard talking who are experts on both sides of the isle think we will get it and change politics as usual. It will probably take a total melt down, that will make 2008 look like a picnic, with nothing left in Washington and the politics gone but the question is what or who will come then.

Even through it looks like the Washington Corruption is so deep and gotten deeper in the last three years we still need to stay engaged and make out vote count. Also keep your self-informed about what is going on in the word particular the Middle East so we can prepare ourselves for events that will affect us.

In light of the above negative news let’s leave on a positive note, Keep the Faith; one can still make a difference, How about you.

Be Safe. Phil Little