The Petrodollar, the Republic, and the Price of Empire
Why American global hegemony is inextricably linked to the Israeli alliance, a nuclear-free Iran, and the cold reality of Middle Eastern power, and why the alternative is the collapse of the West.
America rules the world, and one of its primary instruments of global dominance is the Petrodollar. By pegging the global oil trade to the U.S. dollar, Washington ensures that its currency remains the world’s reserve. This arrangement is backed by the strongest military on earth, providing the "teeth" to enforce this economic reality.
To maintain this global standing, America must maintain a deep and unshakable grip on the Middle East. This grip is sustained through several key strategic pillars:
The Rationality of War
Anyone who opposes the current conflict for "rational" reasons, excluding those who harbor delusions that Israel controls America or that this war doesn't serve U.S. interests, must answer one fundamental question: How does America preserve its global status in a Middle East governed by an Iranian nuclear umbrella?
How will the U.S. prevent its global hegemonic interests from collapsing the moment it is expelled from the region by the threat of Iranian nuclear weapons? If the U.S. is forced out, the Petrodollar, and with it, the ability to project global power, will inevitably shatter.
The Convergence of Interests
There is a certain grief among those who are beginning to realize that the Israeli interest in survival is perfectly aligned with the American interest in not being expelled from the Middle East. Some are even angered to find that the Israeli objective of dismantling a terrorist Iran is identical to the American objective of preserving the Petrodollar. These critics are speaking like children. The world has changed. There is no room for the Monroe Doctrine in the 21st century. This isn't because the doctrine was "bad," but because it was conceived 80 years before the invention of the airplane, the computer, and the automobile.
It is a tragedy that the region vital to America's national security and economic interests is a volatile landscape of radical Islam. However, without Israel and a handful of (relatively) moderate Sunni states, America has no way to maintain control over global oil routes and maritime shipping lanes.
When you step out of the "podcast world" and into reality, you realize that while the Neo-conservatives may have failed in their execution, their fundamental premise was not incorrect.
A Challenge to the Idealists
To the conspiracy theorists who believe America fights solely for Israel, and to the idealists who think the American Empire can survive without the Petrodollar: What is your alternative?
You cannot oppose a war that prevents Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, a development that would end American interests in the Middle East, without providing a new path that sustains America as a global power. So far, I have heard nothing but fantasies. That’s fine for Peter Pan, but this is the world of geopolitics.
If you are willing to sacrifice the American Empire just to spite Israel, then say so. Germany once made a similar move, targeting the Jews only to see their own dreams of empire destroyed in the process.
It was not a wise move then, and it is not a wise move now.