Oil And Natural Gas A Source Of Strategic Power - 956 Words

Oil and Democracy in Middle East Fossil energy (i.e. coal, oil and natural gas) is generally considered as a main force that drives innovation of new technology and highly developed economy around the world from industrial revolution. It is also the â€Å"lifeblood† of the global economy and takes up 80% of world’s net primary energy supply. However, due to the huge exposure of oil reserves in Persian Gulf after World War I, geopolitical struggles and potential conflicts surrounding fossil energy resources of the Middle East gradually emerge. Michael Klare, the author of Blood and Oil, ever makes an argument in his book that exemplifies the unexpected interaction between geopolitics and geoeconomics in current global economy (â€Å"Review of†¦show more content†¦In order to competing in wars, many western countries gradually expressed huge demand of oil for military use, especially those who were lack of oil. From then on, some leading countries like U.S. and Britain started to import large volumes of oil from the Middle East. To some extent, those countries regarded the Middle East as their â€Å"gas station† and they finally want to control oil wealth according to fast developed oil-based economy. At the end of WWII, President Roosevelt representing U.S. first built relationship with Saudi Arabia. â€Å"The United States will provide military protection for Saudi Arabia in exchange for privileged American access to Saudi Arabia’s vast oil reserves† (â€Å"Blood and oil,† 2008). In a way, Saudi Arabia became an ally of the U.S. The build of relationship between U.S. and Saudi Arabia actually demonstrates how U.S. foreign policy and energy policy essentially intertwined. Furthermore, U.S. also interfered in regimes change in certain Middle Eastern countries like Iraq and Iran, which aroused social controversies that claim the U.S. has destroyed national democracy in Middle Eastern countries. In 1953, U.S. over threw Mossadegh’s government in Iran since he nationalized oil fields which restricted benefits U.S. might get from Iran. As for U.S., they regarded this overthrow as an essential step to get control of oil wealth. Thus, they came up with a solution and sent the â€Å"Shah† to build a new regime which was expected to be a staunch ally