Middle East

Breaking news: Saudi Arabia cuts diplomatic ties with Iran. Bad Bad Bad ... Middle East is a mess !!!

Is Saudi Arabia Going Bankrupt?

Just finished watching a YouTube video of TestTube News titled ' Is Saudi Arabia Going Bankrupt ' ? It says 80% of Saudi Arabia's economy relies on oil revenue. At the current price of less than $50 a barrel, economists have predicted that Saudi Arabia could run out of cash in 5 years. Would that come true? I don't know, but it is not impossible.

I said it in the past, and now again, that if not for its oil, Saudi Arabia would be reduced to a backward and poor country. Burning fossil fuel for energy is ' primitive ', not advanced. The whole world should reduce the use of fossil fuel and switch to renewable and clean energy. It is not only good for the environment, but also good for human health and the world economy in the long run.

Yes, eventually, the world economy will rely more and more on renewable and clean energy, although it is not that obvious to people whose mind just got stuck in the past. One day, oil as the main source of energy will become something of the past.

I don't want to see Saudi Arabia or any country become poor and bankrupt. I only wish that all countries, including Saud Arabia, would live in peace.
  

The U.S. Iran Nuclear Deal

The U.S. Iran nuclear deal is seen by many as President Obama's greatest diplomatic achievement. But there are also people who are adamantly against it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the deal a historic mistake. Angry war hawks and neo-con Republicans in Washington condemn it. Obama says if Congress tries to kill the deal, he will veto the opposition. Whether you think it is a bad deal, an average deal, or a good deal, it looks like it is going to be a done deal.

The geopolitics in Middle East is not a simple matter. In addition to money and power, it is further complicated by oil and religion. Sunni and oil-rich Saudi Arabia does not like Shite and oil-rich Iran. Sunni and Shite Muslims have been fighting each other to this day since the death of prophet Mohammed in 632 A.D. Arabs fight against the Jews, Persians (Iranians) and non-Arabs. Muslims fight against the Jews and Christians. Muslims fight against other Muslims. Netanyahu feels threatened by Iran's building a nuclear bomb. The Israel Palestine issue remains an unresolved conundrum. There is mess where there is oil (pun intended).The oil-rich Middle East is a big mess!

Netanyahu's accusation of Iran building a nuclear bomb has more to do with his own political fear than proven fact. There is a difference between building a nuclear bomb and having the ability to build one, not to mention that Israel itself is a nuclear power, the only one in the Middle East.

I am not saying that Netanyahu should not be concerned about Iran's ability to build a nuclear bomb. We should all be concerned. But it is untrue that Iran is actually and already building a nuclear bomb. Why does Netanyahu call this U.S. Iran nuclear deal a historic mistake, when it addresses his very concern, to forestall and prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb?

This U.S. Iran nuclear deal is the result of hard negotiation, with the participation of Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (U.S.A., U.K., France, Russia, China) and Germany. Are these countries all stupid? Of course not. Is it pre-mature, presumptive, or prejudiced, for Netanyahu to call this nuclear deal made by these definitely-not-stupid world powers a historic mistake? Why is it a historic mistake and not a historic achievement? At the least, we must wait and see, instead of jumping to negative conclusion.

I don't blindly take side with one country against another. I always take side with peace. I am not against the U.S., Iran, Israel or any country. I am against violence, killing and war. Those who are against this U.S. Iran nuclear deal must tell us what the alternative is. If you don't choose a political and diplomatic solution, then the only alternative left is military action and war. The question is this: do you want peace, or do you want war?   

Speaking as a pacifist, there is no wrong peace. Is this U.S. Iran nuclear deal a bad deal, average deal or good deal? Since there is no wrong peace, all peace deals are better than no peace deal at all. Peace !!!