The House that Saud Built. posted by Richard Seymour

Washington will be happy to establish an 'Arab façade,' to borrow the term of the British during their day in the sun, while US power is firmly implanted at the heart of the world’s major energy-producing region. Formal democracy will be fine, but only if it is of the submissive kind accepted in Washington’s 'backyard,' at least if history and current practice are any guide.

For there can be no doubt whatsoever that the fall of the House of Saud would be thrust the entire Western world into an energy crisis of unprecedented proportions. Lest there be any doubt about this, as Larry Goldstein, president of the Petroleum Industry Research Foundation told the Wall Street Journal this week: A disruption of Saudi oil supplies is "one event to which no one has an answer." ...

Editor's note: The author of this series has equity positions in three major international oil companies: ChevronTexaco, ConocoPhillips, and Exxon Mobil.