The insatiable appetite for oil in the Gulf region drew Britain and the USA into Persian Gulf meddling. Washington’s desire for control over oil sources in the Gulf and fear of Soviet expansion fed Cold War militarism during Eisenhower’s administration.   Presidents Eisenhower, J.F. Kennedy, Nixon and both Bush presidents followed the violent, interventionist path.

A university classmate Michael Barry introduced me to Arabian American Oil Corporation (Aramco) during the 1960’s. Young Michael became an articulate world traveler while accompanying his father, an Aramco executive with the oil giant, now based in Saudi Arabia. While I was a high school student in the 1950’s, our teachers in a St. Louis, MO  school, did not consider it part of our awareness/education by introducing students to a book entitled  “Global Predator: US Wars for Empire” by Stewart Ross. Such forthright history about our imperialism would not be applauded by patriotic parents.   April 7, 1775, Samuel Johnson said “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” No true patriot would approve of foreign interventions by a big country in smaller, weaker nations. Since Vietnam, the US has intruded by military means in fifteen countries.

CIA foreign ventures under the Dulles brothers are documented in a 600 page book by David Talbot entitled “The Devil’s Chessboard” on US interventionism and the rise of America’s secret government.

President Harry Truman and the CIA overthrew the elected Mosadegh government of Iran in 1953. The US Navy 5th fleet and 45 US military bases now surround Iran.   The maps are available on the web through Information Clearing House.

By means of media deceitfulness on the part of Israel, the only nuclear nation in the region, and Mr. Trump, Iran has been presented to the world as the most dangerous country in 2018.

Under the reign of Commander-In-Chief Trump, the USA has 761 military outposts in the world and over 6000 nuclear weapons.  During campaign speeches Trump said: “If we got them, why not use them?

Russia with 7000 city/country destroying weapons means 90% of nuclear weapons are in US and Russian arsenals.

No Gulf state nations outside of Israel have nuclear weapons. Israel “neither affirms nor denies” having atomic weapons.  In the 1980’s, Israeli nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu was sentenced to twenty five years in Ashkelon prison for telling the world (London Times) his country does indeed have such weapons.  Vanunu is out of prison but not allowed to speak to journalists or leave Israel. Vanunu and I exchanged letters during his time in prison. He is out of prison but not free to leave Israel.

In May 2018, there are no Venezuelan, Cuban or Iranian vessels lurking in the Gulf of Mexico. US Navy vessels arrogantly appear in the Black Sea. From Alexander, my Moscow student of English, I learned clearly the Black Sea is inside Russian territory. Having lived in Louisiana twenty years, I have no recollection of hostile foreign vessels in the Gulf of Mexico. Will the USA learn from our tragic blunders in Iraq and Afghanistan? A war with Iran will close the Strait of Hormuz sending oil prices higher than the Washington monument located in a swamp to be drained or deepened by Trump.