“I have no problem with a war for oil-if we accompany it with a real program for energy conservation. But when we tell the world we couldn't care less about climate change, that we feel entitled to drive whatever big cars we feel like, that we feel entitled to consume however much oil we like, the message we send is that a war for oil in the gulf is not a war to protect the world's right to economic survival-but our right to indulge. Now that will be seen as immoral.” IfsWorldFeelsWarRealProblemBigsCareEnergyEconomicCarProtectMessagesSurvivalProgramClimateClimate ChangeOilAlternativesEntitledConservationImmoralNo ProblemIndulgeAccompanyEnergy ConservationBig Cars Author:Thomas Friedman
“Our president's latest energy initiative was to go to Saudi Arabia and beg King Abdullah to give us a little relief on gasoline prices. I guess there was some justice in that. When you, the president, after 9/11, tell the country to go shopping instead of buckling down to break our addiction to oil, it ends with you, the president, shopping the world for discount gasoline.” WorldGivingLittlesEndsCountryEnergyPresidentJusticeBreakKingsAddictionOilReliefShoppingInitiativeArabiaSaudi ArabiaSaudisGasolineDiscountsGasoline PricesKing Abdullah Author:Thomas Friedman
“Even if America tomorrow - and it won't happen overnight - but if we did reduce our demand for gas and natural gas and crude oil by a significant degree, that does have an exponential effect on producers in the Middle East, everything else being equal. But if China's demand is growing and India's demand is growing, they are not going back.” IfsDoeHappensAmericaNaturalGrowingMiddleEffectsTomorrowDemandEqualDegreesIndiaChinaOilEastSignificantProducersGasMiddle EastCrudeNatural GasBeing EqualCrude Oil Author:Thomas Friedman
“What is the most entrepreneurial country in the Middle East today? It's Lebanon. Which country has no oil or gas? Lebanon. The same was true of Israel, the same was of Bahrain. You could see a real gradation. Turkey, for instance: no oil and gas, very entrepreneurial. You can either dig your future out of the ground or you can unlock the potential of your people.” PeopleRealCountryTodayMiddleIsraelOilEastInstanceGasOur FutureMiddle EastTurkeysYour FutureEntrepreneurialLebanonOil And GasBahrain Author:Thomas Friedman
“To me the smart thing that governments in the Middle East would be doing right now is taking their oil and gas fountain - and the smartest ones are to some degree - and making sure they're investing in their people to unlock their potential - men and women.” PeopleMenGovernmentWould BeMiddleRight NowDegreesSmartMen And WomenInvestingOilEastGasMiddle EastFountainDoing RightOil And Gas Author:Thomas Friedman
“Oil is a tangible commodity, so there is a global market. The fact that we may need less may affect the global price because we're big consumers: we probably take about a quarter of global demand. But if suddenly, let's just use a crazy example, fighting in the Middle East led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and no oil could get out through the Strait of Hormuz, well that would affect China, India, Europe, it will affect the whole global economy. It will affect us, too, then.” IfsNeedsWellsMayWholeFactsUseBigsFightingEconomyCrazyMiddleExampleDemandEuropeIndiaChinaOilEastConsumersQuartersMiddle EastCommodityTangibleClosureGlobal Economy Author:Thomas Friedman
“I think that competition will exist even if we discover more oil. We're never going to know how much we have, or how long will it last. You are always going to want to have diversity of supply. I think the Middle East will remain a region of competition, of global competition, fighting for a long time.” IfsThinkingKnowsWantLongLastsFightingKnow HowMiddleDiversityLong TimeCompetitionOilEastRegionsMiddle East Author:Thomas Friedman
“The ideal country in a flat world is the one with no natural resources, because countries with no natural resources tend to dig inside themselves. They try to tap the energy, entrepreneurship, creativity, and intelligence of their own people-men and women-rather than drill an oil well.” PeopleMenWorldTryingWellsCountryEnergyNaturalCreativityMen And WomenResourcesIdealsOilEntrepreneurshipFlatsNatural ResourcesDrills Book:The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century Source: The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
“Supply chains cannot tolerate even 24 hours of disruption. So if you lose your place in the supply chain because of wild behavior you could lose a lot. It would be like pouring cement down one of your oil wells.” IfsWellsWould BeHoursLosesBehaviorOilChainsTiesToleratePouringDisruptionCementSupply Chain Author:Thomas Friedman
