Effects on You the Consumer

It is no secret that here in America, we are subject to the gas and oil prices. Recently the rebel forces in Eastern Libya exported their first shipment of crude oil by themselves. Already we can see the effects of the instability in the region reflected in our gas prices which have this year shot back up to the record levels we experienced a few years ago with  $4.00 per gallon

But just how reliant on foreign oil are we here in America?

We can see that the main provider of oil to the US from the Middle East is Saudi Arabia, a country that has not had any major protest like the ones in Libya or Egypt. However, investors who use speculation to guide their oil investments have caused the price of gas to spike by buying up the oil commodities raising the question here in America of should we tap into the national oil reserves to help ease the pain felt at the gas pump.

Cheap gas has run our economy for a while now. If oil suddenly spiked beyond normal prices our recovery from the recession could be brought to a screeching halt. Areas in the country that are already seeing high unemployment rates would . The US dollar is already falling compared to the rest of the world. If it falls too far the world might start using a different currency to measure the price per barrel of oil and that could end the rule of the Dollar. 

By the Thousands

Protests in the Middle East have grown in size. Originally starting in Egypt, they have spread throughout the region, now in most countries in the area. These are not small protests as thousands of people have turned out to voice their anger towards their unresponsive governments. Calling for civil freedom and basic rights, the people of these countries are turning out in the thousands at protests. Governments in these countries are using everything from ground riot police to water cannons to tanks and military support to put these protests down.

This is a video showing the Egyptian protests in January earlier this year. The protesters chased the police off the bridge even though they wer being attacked with batons and water canons. You can see the tear gas being shot off about halfway through the video. 

This is a large group of protesters in Yemen this year

When people show up to protest anything in such large numbers it will always get the attention of the world. This many people acting together are going to create some sort of change in the region. Investors across the globe pay attention to the news and plan their investments accordingly. This is the same for the oil-futures market http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42685984/ns/business-going_green/. Such instability in an oil rich region of the world can have an economic impact here in America and we have seen it before. Did America really go into Iraq for Hussein or for oil. Why is it that America led the charge against the oil rich country of Libya but only offer verbal support for Syria, when both of the countries are going through the same style of change. Is the American government trying to support Libya to force a regime change and open up Libyan oil to US markets to ease gas prices here at home?

Muammar Gaddafi

     Muammar Gaddafi is the current ruler of Libya and has been so since he took control of the country back in 1969. His 42 years in control of the country make him one of today's longest ruling leaders of any country. He is known throughout the international community for his human rights abuses and only in recent years was he able to resume talks with the US after he shut down Libya's nuclear program. Gaddafi is known for being a brutal rular and has already carried out multiple assasinations across the world on political refugees. He has collective a vast fortune from his country's oil production.
     Col. Gaddafi has tried multiple times to create a larger Arab state in North Africa. His attempt to form the Islamic Legion brought mercenaries from region to Sudan and ceated the military groups there today that are known for the genocide in the Dafur region. He has also pushed for a United States of Africa.

Above: Gaddafi Speaking at a UN conference
Below: Gaddafi defiantly clinging to power in the face of Civil War

Gaddafi has been the most brutal so far during these protests. He is now fighting a civil war for control of his country with Pro-Gaddafi forces in the West and the rebel forces in the East. If the US and its allies stop the military support for the Rebels in Libya, what is to stop Gaddafi from hiring mercenaries like he did for the Islamic Legion to take out the already outnumbered rebels. Described by Pres. Reagan as the "Mad Dog of the Middle East", Gaddafi is known throughout the international community for his eccentric personality. He has even referred to Pres. Obama as 'Our son' in his letter to the President this year http://www.businessinsider.com/qaddafi-obama-letter-2011-4.

      Personally I believe that if the US support for the rebels is cut off, Col. Gaddafi might continue his attempts to create a larger Libya in the region. He has in the past waged campaigns on the country of Chad and Sudan to take over their uranium rich lands. What is to say that Gaddafi won't destabalize that entire region in response to an unprovocted international attack led by the US on his country. 

Cant we all just get along?

http://www.hulu.com/watch/13369/planet-of-the-apes-cant-we-all-just-get-along

We the people here in america like to think that everyone on the globe can get along with everyone else they share it with. And it would be great if that were the case. But we can see from the news reports coming out of the protest areas that this isn't the case. Whoever holds the biggest guns in the area likes to assume power in that area. Great example is the way that the police in each of the protesting countries have been ordered to shoot the protesters that are considered speaking out to much against the oppressive governments.

Armed protesters in Cairo throw rocks to resist the Egyptian Police

The truth is, the Middle East and North Africa are going through an Arab Spring where the people of those countries are taking their freedom by force. The statement 'freedom isn't free' must be felt by the protestors in the affected countries. The old and the new are fighting, the old regimes trying to cling on to absolute and theocratic power and the new being the young people of the countries that are tired of being treated as second class citizens in their home country. Syria is even going as far as to intimidate its own people to keep them from exercising any right to assembly http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/04/28/syria.unrest/index.html. The result are protests and violent outbreaks between the two with the only hope of peace being at the end when hopefully the protestors take power and create reformed governements that protect their rights.

Protest!!! Fight the Man

Today in the Middle East and Northern Africa there are protests and rallies against the current political regimes in the countries of Egypt, Syria, Libya, and even in some of the smaller countries such as Oman and Yemen. The people of these countries are tired of being made second class citizens to their own governments; of which have often been seen brutalizing and killing their own citizens in an attempt to greedily keep power in their country. They can't claim to be keeping the peace when countries like Libya send their Army's tank regiments to fight "rebel" protesters in these people's hometowns.