Comments on: The Scramble For…well…Everything http://cominganarchy.com/2008/05/10/the-scramble-forwelleverything/ Speak Victorian, Think Pagan Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:40:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Mitch H. http://cominganarchy.com/2008/05/10/the-scramble-forwelleverything/#comment-383719 Mitch H. Mon, 12 May 2008 18:44:21 +0000 http://cominganarchy.com/2008/05/10/the-scramble-forwelleverything/#comment-383719 The sun never sets on France's underwater oil and gas claims. The sun never sets on France’s underwater oil and gas claims.

]]> By: feeblemind http://cominganarchy.com/2008/05/10/the-scramble-forwelleverything/#comment-383716 feeblemind Mon, 12 May 2008 17:52:00 +0000 http://cominganarchy.com/2008/05/10/the-scramble-forwelleverything/#comment-383716 How will the UN enforce to keep nations from cheating? Sounds like nothing more than an elaborate charade to me. How will the UN enforce to keep nations from cheating? Sounds like nothing more than an elaborate charade to me.

]]> By: IJ http://cominganarchy.com/2008/05/10/the-scramble-forwelleverything/#comment-383704 IJ Mon, 12 May 2008 07:00:15 +0000 http://cominganarchy.com/2008/05/10/the-scramble-forwelleverything/#comment-383704 I couldn't find a summary of why the property rules are changing. On the face of it this decision is bound to add to the many existing international disputes. I couldn’t find a summary of why the property rules are changing. On the face of it this decision is bound to add to the many existing international disputes.

]]> By: Kirk Sowell http://cominganarchy.com/2008/05/10/the-scramble-forwelleverything/#comment-383698 Kirk Sowell Sun, 11 May 2008 23:49:21 +0000 http://cominganarchy.com/2008/05/10/the-scramble-forwelleverything/#comment-383698 Have you read Michael Klare's book "Resource Wars"? It is a bit dated now, but it was a very insightful book in framing the basic issues around which foreign policy revolves. As I think the ethanol mandate disaster shows, trying to escape one geographical resource problem (most oil in unstable areas) can artificially create a second (slight reduction in oil dependency in exchange for massive food inflation). It is better to have more of the resources to begin with than try to legislative your way out of it. I do take issue with the reference to gas prices being linked to oil reserves allegedly dwindling (which is really a tangental fact to your piece) for what it is worth. I don't have a real certain position on the oil reserve debate, but the primary factors involved in the higher gas prices are (1) dollar depreciation, (2) increase in demand, (3) decrease in supply from Nigeria, Mexico, Venezuela, et al and (4) refining capacity shortages. I don't think reserves currently have anything to do with it, although they could in the not too distant future. Have you read Michael Klare’s book “Resource Wars”? It is a bit dated now, but it was a very insightful book in framing the basic issues around which foreign policy revolves. As I think the ethanol mandate disaster shows, trying to escape one geographical resource problem (most oil in unstable areas) can artificially create a second (slight reduction in oil dependency in exchange for massive food inflation). It is better to have more of the resources to begin with than try to legislative your way out of it.

I do take issue with the reference to gas prices being linked to oil reserves allegedly dwindling (which is really a tangental fact to your piece) for what it is worth. I don’t have a real certain position on the oil reserve debate, but the primary factors involved in the higher gas prices are (1) dollar depreciation, (2) increase in demand, (3) decrease in supply from Nigeria, Mexico, Venezuela, et al and (4) refining capacity shortages. I don’t think reserves currently have anything to do with it, although they could in the not too distant future.

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