> For Saudi Arabia the deal with America is that the House of Saud get to stay in power in exchange for the oil, it is that simple. If there is this 'uprising'

> For Saudi Arabia the deal with America is that the House of Saud get to stay in power in exchange for the oil, it is that simple. If there is this 'uprising' that you speak of then it will be Uncle Sam's job to put it down. That certainly used to be the deal. The US no longer has any need of OPEC oil. The US got 3.3 million barrels per day from OPEC in 2017, down from 4.2m in 2012. I haven't seen the last two months of data for 2018, but I believe that fell below 3m per day for 2018. That will drop by another million barrels per day over the next few years. US oil production is estimated to climb to 16-18 million barrels per day over the next eight to ten years give or take. OPEC now stands in the way of the US maximizing its oil position and the value of its enormous production. The US will benefit from destroying Saudi Arabia at some point. US global hegemony (courtesy of energy production) is increased if you permanently decimate Saudi Arabian oil production. All the countries that need Saudi Arabia's oil, including China, will find themselves into an economically compromised position and require US oil to fill the demand. Between now and the switch to all-electric vehicles globally (20-30 years), the US is economically best served to deplete as much of its oil as possible. If you're a nefarious US looking to increase your power, the only question would be the ideal time to pull the trigger and collapse them. You boost US production from 12m barrels per day, to 18m, and slash Saudi down by six plus million by turning their country into a war zone. 18m barrels per day times $85 oil = $1.53 trillion Versus today's 12m barrels per day at $50 oil = $600 billion Over ten years, that value gap is reasonably $8 to $10 trillion. How much are Exxon and Chevron (2 of the 3 largest holders of acreage in the Permian) worth under that 18m * $85 scenario? Or push it a notch further: 2029, 20m barrels per day at $100 oil (equivalent to maybe ~$60 in 2004, a tolerable inflation adjusted level). $2 trillion per year, the size of Italy's whole economy. It would pour a bonanza of epic proportions into the domestic US economy. I don't believe either 18m or 20m barrels per day of US production can co-exist in the next eight to ten years with Saudi Arabia's ~10-11m production (much less their desire/fantasy for more production at a higher price to keep up with their budget). Simple question: what will the US do to realize that value potential? It'll certainly not be concerned about the collapse of Saudi Arabia, putting it mildly. Cynically or not, there's a popular opinion about what the US is willing to do as it pertains to oil; what then will it do for its own, massive, direct benefit re oil? That benefit scenario is several fold better than just ensuring oil supply from overseas as in the past. The days of (non-Canadian) foreign oil being a strategic critical are nearly over, which means the US allegiance to the Saudi deal is running out. Everyone knows how willing the US is to flip such an allegiance when it's convenient, there's no scenario where the US will feel bound to continue with that after it no longer serves the US interests.