Brett,
You put that well! Not only are we NOT being paid, we have to pay our own way and pay the U.N.! The world's "vigilante", indeed!
BTW, I was taught that the former Soviet Union had more oil than the Arab countries combined. I know for a fact that Russia has oil reserves they haven't even explored yet.
Problem is, how to get all that oil production developed and transported to the sea. Russia has been looking for a warm-water port forever. There are those who say the Russian "march to the sea" was one of the big motivations for trying to "absorb" Afghanistan.
Of course, now that Russia is our "friend", Gulf Oil and others are helping to develop Russian oil. I wonder if our government, in concert with the U.N., may help gain access to a seaport for our Russian "allies".
If not through Iran, the shortest route would be through the Caucasus Mts. to the Black Sea. Georgia, however, seems to be a continuing political problem.
Standing armies for each of the "players" may induce us to keep our military prepared to intervene in the name of our long-term national interests. (It sure is hard for us peons to know what's going on behind the scenes...)
