The truth is, about the Middle East is, had there been no oil there, it would be like Africa. Nobody is threatening to intervene in Africa.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Clark claims that without oil, the Middle East would be like Africa, implying that oil drives attention and intervention.
- In plain terms
- He suggests oil is the main reason the Middle East gets attention.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize resource interests shape foreign policy.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What other factors affect Middle East geopolitics?
- How does oil influence global politics?
Another view
The comparison oversimplifies complex regional dynamics.
More from Wesley Clark
You see, essentially, you cannot win the war on terror by military force. It is first and foremost a battle of ideas. It is secondly a law enforcement effort a…
Permalink to quote #27 I'd like to get rid of landmines. I did participate in getting rid of laser blinding weapons. And I was part of the team that put together the agreement that g…
Permalink to quote #29 As with science and technology, there could be a dark side of globalization, in which progress for some means poverty for others, as jobs and opportunities ebb…
Permalink to quote #26
Related quotes
The Baghdad regime is the first oil-producing government to opt for 100-per-cent nationalisation, a process completed with the acquisition of foreign assets in…
Christopher HitchensChristopher Hitchens quote #1 If they turn on their radars we're going to blow up their goddamn SAMs [surface-to- air missiles]. They know we own their country. We own their airspace:We dic…
General William LooneyGeneral William Looney quote #1 Israel was and is breathing only with a single lung.
Abba EbanAbba Eban quote #12