2 ms·

What are your thoughts on the Carter Doctrine? He effectively annexed the Middle East without all the benefits of being US territory. Source: http://en.wikiped

by ihsw 13y ago

What are your thoughts on the Carter Doctrine? He effectively annexed the Middle East without all the benefits of being US territory. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carter_Doctrine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carter_Doctrine

euroclydon 13y ago
I think that his doctrine was influenced by what happened to Germany in WW2: they had a tremendous war machine, but were hobbled by a lack of oil. The U.S. had enough domestic oil to wage any war they needed to, but diverting that oil to war would have wrecked havoc on the global and domestic economy. That's was the state of the Cold War and the state of things today: a strategy of maintaining economic levels while simultaneously waging war.
300bps 13y ago
That speech reeks of spin. The region which is now threatened by Soviet troops in Afghanistan is of great strategic importance: It contains more than two-thirds of the world's exportable oil. The Soviet Union was in Afghanistan which has no oil. President Carter seems to making a very tenuous connection between Afghanistan and the Middle East. The Soviet effort to dominate Afghanistan has brought Soviet military forces to within 300 miles of the Indian Ocean and close to the Straits of Hormuz, a waterway through which most of the world's oil must flow. Looking at the Straits of Hormuz on Google Maps, it appears to be not even close to Afghanistan which isn't surprising considering Afghanistan is totally landlocked. Again, President Carter appears to be trying to link Afghanistan to the hot-button topic of the day. i.e. Stop the Soviet Union or they'll be able to stop the flow of oil!
- moocowduckquack 13y ago
  Go look at the map a bit harder. Afghanistan is the neighbour of Iran and is more or less the same distance from the Straits of Hormuz as LA is from San Francisco.

2 ms·

What are your thoughts on the Carter Doctrine? He effectively annexed the Middle East without all the benefits of being US territory. Source: http://en.wikiped

by ihsw 13y ago

euroclydon 13y ago
I think that his doctrine was influenced by what happened to Germany in WW2: they had a tremendous war machine, but were hobbled by a lack of oil. The U.S. had enough domestic oil to wage any war they needed to, but diverting that oil to war would have wrecked havoc on the global and domestic economy. That's was the state of the Cold War and the state of things today: a strategy of maintaining economic levels while simultaneously waging war.
300bps 13y ago
That speech reeks of spin. The region which is now threatened by Soviet troops in Afghanistan is of great strategic importance: It contains more than two-thirds of the world's exportable oil. The Soviet Union was in Afghanistan which has no oil. President Carter seems to making a very tenuous connection between Afghanistan and the Middle East. The Soviet effort to dominate Afghanistan has brought Soviet military forces to within 300 miles of the Indian Ocean and close to the Straits of Hormuz, a waterway through which most of the world's oil must flow. Looking at the Straits of Hormuz on Google Maps, it appears to be not even close to Afghanistan which isn't surprising considering Afghanistan is totally landlocked. Again, President Carter appears to be trying to link Afghanistan to the hot-button topic of the day. i.e. Stop the Soviet Union or they'll be able to stop the flow of oil!
- moocowduckquack 13y ago
  Go look at the map a bit harder. Afghanistan is the neighbour of Iran and is more or less the same distance from the Straits of Hormuz as LA is from San Francisco.