[Gene, thanks for these fascinating comments from Canada. When it comes to oil, rest assured the USA is playing the game at full pace. I have also had no doubt that the USA and the West have been working night and day to prevent oil prices exploding through the roof as they were threatening to in 2006. Quietly… oil prices have settled… and I’m in agreement with you that this is part of the WAR!!! No doubt.

re: Oil Sands.
Yes that is what I saw on TV. Amazing stuff. Jan]

I live in Canada and from time to time watch a guy called Glen Beck, on CNN. I never expected to actually find fairly unbiased opinions on Mainstream Media… well… this guy says it like it is… with no apologies… Most of his discussion starts with: “This is what I know”…and… “This is what I don’t know”…make a point of viewing his show…it’s pretty good (try YouTUBE…?)

Anyway… regarding Middle East Oil… according to Glen Beck the American Government has(via Dick Cheney) had a few ‘chats’ with Saudi Arabia. These chats have led to Saudia Arabia actually dragging their feet recently regarding upping the oil prices and postponing OPEC related activities in order to keep the oil prices down. Aparently a target of $20 a barrel has been set… Why?

To screw Iran.

Iran apparently does not have the needed refining technology to produce its own Petrol… and imports 45% of the stuff. Lower oil prices hits Iran in the pocket… and has a dominoe effect – and will negatively impact on Iran’s economy, etc. Basically a steadily decreasing oil price could lead to economic and social unrest in Iran – and hopefully less resources for producing Nukes. Well. That’s the theory at least, according to Glen Beck. This is also how the U.S.S.R. was aparently brought to its knees (via low oil prices…).

Interessting how the Saudi’s will most probably do just about anything to acquire more and more market share in the oil business. If Iran’s oil production falters… Saudi Arabia can capitalise on the situation. According to Glen… the Saudi’s don’t really give a crap for the U.S. – they just want to stay in the oil business for as long as possible (with as less compitition as possible).

Regarding Canadian oil… the province of Alberta is in a really crazy economic boom… the Alberta Oil Sands Project is a big money spinner… and Canada has enough of the stuff to supply Canada alone with oil for 400 or so years… so… global oil is far from gone… A Canadian buddy of mine also remarked about vast amounts of natural gas reserves available to Canada… as he noticed literally ‘thousands’ of pre-drilled or ‘capped’ natural gas access points all along the Prairies…when travelling there…

China has already bought into the oil business here in Canada (as can be expected) – I can only hope that the West will start acting in its own interest and see foreign ownership of natural resources as a form of ‘national security risk’.