Ending the ban on Offshore Oil Drilling in the US

This seems to be the headlines all over today http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/washington/19drill.html?hp

Some claim that this would bring down the oil prices, and decrease American dependence on foreign oil (read Middle Eastern) in general.

Generally it's thought that the less dependent the US economy is on the Middle Eastern oil, the more peaceful ME would be, since the US would not be interested in ME oil anymore.

While the truth is, I think, that as long as oil itself is a valuable commodity and could benefit the competing international powers like Russia, China, Europe, the US would not accept losing 'control' over such a commodity, hence, would not stop meddling in ME affairs.

No other explanation seems to explain US' relentless meddling in the ME for over half a century.

Moral of the story, if you want peace in the Middle east, do whatever it takes to make oil useless. ME millionaire/billionaire sheikhs and American corporations will become poorer (can I get an aww?), but the regular people will not be bombed (chemically and otherwise) and pummeled with tanks and gunship helicopters as much. I have a feeling people will appreciate the change.

PS: On a similar note, check out Chomsky's recent interview http://dissentmag.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/kunstler-and-chomsky-peak-oil-and-the-middle-east/

Turkey, a secular extremist?

When religion takes a fanatic turn, Taliban/Saudi type societies come into being, when secularism takes a fanatic turn, Turkey-like societies come into being, it seems ...

This was a news headline on BBC today:

"Court annuls Turkish scarf reform"

In other words, if you wear a head scarf, you cannot attend a public university.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7438348.stm