Just Who's Independant

        Here's an interesting factoid that was reported in the New York Times on Friday. The largest oil refinery in all of America, the Motiva oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, is owned by Saudi Arabia. Now that's no big deal in world business. Loads of businesses in almost every country are owned by outside interests. What's interesting is that it gives the Saudi's an outlet in America for it's crude oil. They own the refinery, they would certainly have the right to process their own oil, right?
       What's more interesting, though, is that America is trying so hard, and getting so close, to weaning itself off foreign oil, especially Middle-East oil. You don't suppose Saudi interests figured this out and decided to put an end to American efforts to WEAN itself off of anything, do ya? After all, the USA has been a very good customer of Saudi oil for many decades.
       But even more important than that, Uncle Sam has been the strong protector of the Saudi regime for all that time. We've protected them from nasty neighbors and from lost customers. But of late, we've been talking like we might not need their oil anymore. Which might mean we might not feel so inclined to protect them as much anymore.
       To the Saudis, especially the royal family, that would mean that their days of reign in the country would likely be limited. My guess is that the protection factor is far more important than the customer factor. By owning such an important piece of infrastructure as the largest oil refinery in America, just might ensconce Saudi Arabia in the American framework.
It could likely continue to make Saudi oil indispensable. Which would mean that America would continue to be under the foot of OPEC, and necessarily require America to continue to protect Saudi Arabia, it's royal family and their oil.
       The question for America is whether or not the Saud family is our friend. They support terrorism by their financial gifts to terror organizations and states. They subjugate their citizens, women aren't even allowed to drive a car or hold a job or office. They'd drop us in a minute if they didn't need us so much.