A first step solution to Iran

In Bush’s state of the union address he claimed it was imperative to develop alternative forms of energy in order to break the Middle East’s grip on the country—they were in fact funding the very terrorism they were fighting against. American citizen—Gas station—oil company—Ayotollah/kings/dictator/mullah/—radical church/Whabbism—terrorist. We need a plan. So here is one

1) An oil embargo on Iran. Forbid foreign countries from extracting, purchasing or transporting oil or gas from Iran including the United States. This would limit Iran’s potential to generate revenue. Iran is trying to build nuclear weaponry which requires vast amounts of money to create. This is how a country can sit upon one of the largest deposits of one of the most valuable resources in the world and stay dirt poor. Iran nationalized the industry and contracts out the work and spends all of the resulting profits on weaponry.

Ending resource profits will put an even larger strain on an unstable religious dictatorship. Most of Iran’s population is under 30—thanks to the Ayatollah forbidding birth control as soon as he seized power— and presumably they yearn for change from this repressive regime and historically this is the demographic that brings it about. Limiting a dictator’s revenue puts huge strains on his ability to stay in power. Repressive socialist utopias are expensive to fund.

2) This embargo would drive the price of gasoline up in North American, Japan and Europe thus creating a tremendous incentive to invest in technologies relating to alternative energy sources—wind power and hydrogen. As the price of gasoline rises the more one is willing to invest in other more expensive sources of energy. This demand will create greater efficiency in young underdeveloped technologies and eventually leading to less demand for oil and gas.

Next.... Iran and eight cents a liter gasoline.