• brucethemoose
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    10 days ago

    What he’s trying to convey is that non-US countries (like in Europe) are mostly the ones who consume fossil fuels from the Middle East. The US makes more than it consumes.

    In Trump fashion, he’s oversimplifying a lot (including what type of fuels are produced and where), but that sentiment isn’t wrong. Yes, Europe buys oil that goes through the strait.

    So what he’s arguing to NATO countries is “come save your own oil. You need it more than we do.” In spite of the clickbait headline and Tweets, he’s trying to sell the conflict to them.


    That, of course, ignores a lot. Like:

    • …The US started the conflict.

    • Is it even winnable? See: Iraq. A far smaller country and military, in less difficult terrain.

    • The oil trade is a mix of a free-ish market and independent cartels. Cutting off “EU oil” will raise US gas pump prices because US producers will just sell to Europe, to the extent infrastructure allows. So I don’t think it would disproportionately hurt Europe in particular.

    • My impression is the EU kinda wants to get away from petro, anyway.