Blood or oil

Security Council debate over Iran, Lugar wondered whether Russia and China would let their energy interests trump their interest in stopping nuclear proliferation.\nI think this is the central question: Do countries place more value on their energy supply or on security and human rights? Sadly, in case after case, countries are bartering away security or human rights, and often both, because of their voracious appetite for oil. Russia and China's actions regarding Iran are just two cases. China has consistently opposed United Nations pressure on Sudan regarding the ethnic cleansing in Darfur because Sudan is a major supplier of oil to the Chinese. Western countries are just as guilty of letting their need for oil dictate foreign policy choices. France is notorious for cozying up to unsavory regimes to further the interests of French oil giant, Total. \nNot even the United States is innocent. For years we've put aside human rights and security concerns in the Middle East because of our need for oil. President Bush was right when he said in his State of the Union Address that the United States is "addicted" to oil. Addiction is the perfect description. Countries routinely ignore their security interests and/or ignore human rights violations to feed their oil habit, just as a drug addict commits crimes to feed their habit. \nAs long as the world remains addicted to oil, foreign policy decisions will be held hostage to the need for oil. I don't believe we invaded Iraq just so we could control its oil, but it's undeniable that oil is driving foreign policy decisions around the world, and usually not for the better. I wish I believed Bush was serious in his commitment to finding alternate sources of energy, but even if he's not, we should be. \nAnd we shouldn't just focus on lowering our dependence on oil. We should work to share any technologies we discover with the rest of the world. Growing economies, notably China and India, need even more oil to sustain their growth, and their governments are becoming increasingly desperate to secure that oil. That desperation makes them irresponsible actors on the world stage, as they've decided that securing oil to keep their citizens happy is more important than other people's rights and security. If that continues, it will affect U.S. security, too.\nSen. Lugar and President Bush are on the right track when it comes to recognizing a link between oil dependency and security. The big question is whether a Texas oilman can take honest action to limit oil use. Maybe an Indiana senator can help persuade him.