I'm not trying to troll, I just wanted to generate some discussion. It seems to me that the mideast is soon to be as irrelevant to world politics as Africa is right now. The only reason that the mideast has any sway with Western governments is the large supply of cheap oil. If the oil didn't exist, or it was more expensive to extract the mideast would be totally irrelevant in world affairs.

I'm not saying its right, but look at how important Africa is to the rest of the world. The simple fact is that the West doesn't care about Africa because its strategic value is basically nill. The same fate awaits the mideast in our lifetime. For economic and politcal reasons the west will begin diversifying its energy production mechanisms. Without the influx of cash for oil the mideast seems like it will have no voice in the shape of the world in 50 years. Anybody from the mideast care to comment? After oil what do you think the mideast has to offer? It doesn't seem that mideastern countries are taking the steps necessary to compete in the world markets in the same way that India and China are making. Will terrorism go away when the funding dries up? The current terrorist organizations obviously rely on oil money at some point.

Anyone care to comment?

The ME is not dependant in oil for it's relevance, what makes the ME relevant is the religious, and political tensions that are effecting it. For instance the levant has no oil, yet it presents the greatest threat to world peace in essence. What oil does is makes these countries be able to afford some high tech toys to kill each other with. Because of Israel the region is important to at least the US. To Japan or to a EU really they are "concerned" but to the US she is in the nitty gritty of the ME. Even if the ME loses it oil in about 200 years, or if the west goes to a new form of energy production, the collapse of these states will cause a ripple effect worldwide. Russia, China, and the US all have a vested interest in the ME, and why? Because it is literally at the cross roads of the world. The ME, has historical significance that will never go away, as long as you have Zionists, Baptists, and Pan-Arabists u'll always have a relevant ME.

Originally posted by voice of reason
The same fate awaits the mideast in our lifetime You say it like it were a bad thing ? The sooner the better if only we could burn all the oil together , it has been devil-magnet since the day discovered .

The fate will not be the same as Africa , you can see so in the North . You can also see it in the countries in the Levant as Nico spoke of .

Arabs are not Africans , the religious division amongst Arabs will never bring forth things such as African rebels , Arabs are civilized by their cultural and religious identity , the situations in Africa is caused by drugged teenagers without any human left-over .

Arab's have survived somany centuries without any oil , it is oil that has caused decay and division through faux nationalism and capitalism for a select miniscule class of royals and capitalists . The sooner they all go the better , and the oil is the key here .
Will terrorism go away when the funding dries up? The current terrorist organizations obviously rely on oil money at some point. Surely but not all of it , there are plenty Muslims in the west that can fund most actions , terrorism isnt that expensive . After oil what do you think the mideast has to offer? It has plenty potential , what it hardly has is willing capable people . Capitalism takes their interest away quickly .........

As far as politically irrelevant it will never be , as it has indeed a strong religious identity , a zionist state and evangelist concern . Obviously things would be alot more difficult , but not evaporated .

And the middle east reverts to a purely goat-based economy and vanishes off of the face of the world. As they can not possibly produce enough food to feed everyone themselves and will not have big enough exports to get money to buy the stuff it will not be a pretty transition either.

And we can only hope religion dies as well.

Nice thought, C-dub.

I was thinking along the same lines ... IF the world-at-large was to forsake oil in favor of another energy source would the "ME" lose it's interest?

Concern: They feel snubbed - like NK - and decide to fire-one-off at the nearest power thus creating another war.

Also, I think that religion will become like everything else in this day-and-age - a fad. You get bombarded by the same stuff every day eventually people will turn it off.