Latest war theory

[Rob9874]

I'm a full supporter of the war, but my cousin was spewing some anti-war rhetoric today, and told me of a new threory I had not heard before. She was saying that in the past, Iraq did not accept transactions in Euros. So European countries had to buy dollars from us before buying oil. Now that Iraq has accepted the Euro, we lose out on those currency transactions, and this is the REAL reason behind the war. I guess it's all over the news in Germany (where her husband is working for 2 years).

Has anyone else heard this? Makes no sense to me. It's not like after winning the war, we're going to force Iraq to ban the Euro again. Dumb.

 

[godmare]

Sounds more like europe slandering the US to me.

 

[Orsorum]

Originally posted by: godmare
Sounds more like europe slandering the US to me.

Ditto.

 

[CubicZirconia]

Or it could be that Saddam is a crazy despot who needs to go.

 

[Queasy]

I still prefer my theory that Bush thinks he is the Kwezack Haderack and that ingesting the Iraqi oil will turn him into a super-being.

 

[Vic]

Actually, I've heard of this one for weeks and, while I've seen no real proof of it (and have some doubts of it), it does explain quite well why France, Germany, and Russia have allied against the war. Also, while the war was in doubt, the dollar was weakening against the Euro. Now that the war is certain, the dollar is improving. It does make one wonder.

Originally posted by: CubicZirconia
Or it could be that Saddam is a crazy despot who needs to go.

Your naiveté is disturbing.
If you know nothing else in life, know this: the answer to the question "Why" is always "Money." Massive armies do not go halfway around the world and fire large amounts of expensive ordinance in wars and battles in which thousands of expensively-trained men will die just for simplistic moral reasons like the one you stated.

edit:

It's not like after winning the war, we're going to force Iraq to ban the Euro again. Dumb.

After we win the war, who would be in control of Iraq? 😕

 

[ThePresence]

Boy, they are getting desperate.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Vic
Or it could be that Saddam is a crazy despot who needs to go.

Your naiveté is disturbing.
If you know nothing else in life, know this: the answer to the question "Why" is always "Money." Massive armies do not go halfway around the world and fire large amounts of expensive ordinance in wars and battles in which thousands of expensively-trained men will die just for simplistic moral reasons like the one you stated. [/quote]

Actually, you could probably add the money element to extend the crazy despot theme to "A crazy despot who threatens the stability of one of the most economically important areas to not just the United States but to the world."

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: Vic
Actually, I've heard of this one for weeks and, while I've seen no real proof of it (and have some doubts of it), it does explain quite well why France, Germany, and Russia have allied against the war. Also, while the war was in doubt, the dollar was weakening against the Euro. Now that the war is certain, the dollar is improving. It does make one wonder.

Originally posted by: CubicZirconia
Or it could be that Saddam is a crazy despot who needs to go.

Your naiveté is disturbing.
If you know nothing else in life, know this: the answer to the question "Why" is always "Money." Massive armies do not go halfway around the world and fire large amounts of expensive ordinance in wars and battles in which thousands of expensively-trained men will die just for simplistic moral reasons like the one you stated.

edit:

It's not like after winning the war, we're going to force Iraq to ban the Euro again. Dumb.

After we win the war, who would be in control of Iraq? 😕

It couldn't be that those countries would profit more from Saddam staying in power...Your naiveté is disturbing.

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: Rob9874
I'm a full supporter of the war, but my cousin was spewing some anti-war rhetoric today, and told me of a new threory I had not heard before. She was saying that in the past, Iraq did not accept transactions in Euros. So European countries had to buy dollars from us before buying oil. Now that Iraq has accepted the Euro, we lose out on those currency transactions, and this is the REAL reason behind the war. I guess it's all over the news in Germany (where her husband is working for 2 years).

Has anyone else heard this? Makes no sense to me. It's not like after winning the war, we're going to force Iraq to ban the Euro again. Dumb.

It's been discussed here before, do a search.

Very basic... Iraq began using the Euro in Nov. of 2000 for it's oil trade. Since then the Euro has gained 20% on the dollar and is thus making OPEC nations perk up. The main fear is that OPEC will one day trade only in the Euro. That would be very bad for the US.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Alistar7

Originally posted by: Vic
Actually, I've heard of this one for weeks and, while I've seen no real proof of it (and have some doubts of it), it does explain quite well why France, Germany, and Russia have allied against the war. Also, while the war was in doubt, the dollar was weakening against the Euro. Now that the war is certain, the dollar is improving. It does make one wonder.

Originally posted by: CubicZirconia
Or it could be that Saddam is a crazy despot who needs to go.

Your naiveté is disturbing.
If you know nothing else in life, know this: the answer to the question "Why" is always "Money." Massive armies do not go halfway around the world and fire large amounts of expensive ordinance in wars and battles in which thousands of expensively-trained men will die just for simplistic moral reasons like the one you stated.

edit:

It's not like after winning the war, we're going to force Iraq to ban the Euro again. Dumb.

After we win the war, who would be in control of Iraq? 😕

It couldn't be that those countries would profit more from Saddam staying in power...Your naiveté is disturbing.

How so? 😕 My argument implied that those countries would profit from Saddam staying in power and that that was their motive... because he would encourage OPEC nations to use the Euro, weakening the dollar position for oil (which would raise gas prices in the US) and strengthening the Euro position.
Why don't you try reading my post again?

Actually, you could probably add the money element to extend the crazy despot theme to "A crazy despot who threatens the stability of one of the most economically important areas to not just the United States but to the world."

Well of course. I have no love for Saddam, or even Europe for that matter (the only thing worse than a despotic tyranny is a socialist democracy). It is ONLY our moving forward without the world's support that disturbs me. GW's "cowboy" foreign relations/policy could use a little spit and polish.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Rob9874
I'm a full supporter of the war, but my cousin was spewing some anti-war rhetoric today, and told me of a new threory I had not heard before. She was saying that in the past, Iraq did not accept transactions in Euros. So European countries had to buy dollars from us before buying oil. Now that Iraq has accepted the Euro, we lose out on those currency transactions, and this is the REAL reason behind the war. I guess it's all over the news in Germany (where her husband is working for 2 years).

Has anyone else heard this? Makes no sense to me. It's not like after winning the war, we're going to force Iraq to ban the Euro again. Dumb.

The size of the US Economy is several Trillion more than the EU economy. This has nothing to do with iraqi currency.

 

[dahunan]

Link for the original story.

Iraq uses the EURO in its trade deals
Iraq, Politics, 9/7/2001

The Iraqi deputy premier and minister of finance Hikmat al-Azzawi has announced that Iraq is working to gradually limit reliance on the dollar in its trade dealings, stressing that all Iraq's trade relations will be in the EURO ( the united European currency) as from the beginning of 2002.

The Iraqi paper al-Iqtisadi ( the economist) quoted al-Azzawi as saying that Baghdad had also asked that in its frozen bank account in New York its assets of the revenues of "oil for food" program will be in EURO, applied since December and permits Iraq to sell certain amounts of its crude oil to buy basic necessary needs under the supervision of the UN.

Arabic News September 7th - 2001

 

[datalink7]

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: Rob9874
I'm a full supporter of the war, but my cousin was spewing some anti-war rhetoric today, and told me of a new threory I had not heard before. She was saying that in the past, Iraq did not accept transactions in Euros. So European countries had to buy dollars from us before buying oil. Now that Iraq has accepted the Euro, we lose out on those currency transactions, and this is the REAL reason behind the war. I guess it's all over the news in Germany (where her husband is working for 2 years).

Has anyone else heard this? Makes no sense to me. It's not like after winning the war, we're going to force Iraq to ban the Euro again. Dumb.

The size of the US Economy is several Trillion more than the EU economy. This has nothing to do with iraqi currency.

I actually heard that, with the latest downturn in the US economy, it is:

US Economy - 10.7 Trillian
EU - 10 Trillian

I don't have a source so I could be wrong. I forget where I heard this.

 

[toant103]

Originally posted by: Rob9874
I'm a full supporter of the war, but my cousin was spewing some anti-war rhetoric today, and told me of a new threory I had not heard before. She was saying that in the past, Iraq did not accept transactions in Euros. So European countries had to buy dollars from us before buying oil. Now that Iraq has accepted the Euro, we lose out on those currency transactions, and this is the REAL reason behind the war. I guess it's all over the news in Germany (where her husband is working for 2 years).

Has anyone else heard this? Makes no sense to me. It's not like after winning the war, we're going to force Iraq to ban the Euro again. Dumb.

yeb, i heard this before.

 

[NogginBoink]

Originally posted by: Rob9874
I'm a full supporter of the war, but my cousin was spewing some anti-war rhetoric today, and told me of a new threory I had not heard before. She was saying that in the past, Iraq did not accept transactions in Euros. So European countries had to buy dollars from us before buying oil. Now that Iraq has accepted the Euro, we lose out on those currency transactions, and this is the REAL reason behind the war. I guess it's all over the news in Germany (where her husband is working for 2 years).

Has anyone else heard this? Makes no sense to me. It's not like after winning the war, we're going to force Iraq to ban the Euro again. Dumb.

I don't buy it.

First off, why would Iraq not accept a stable currency like the Euro? It makes no sense. Especially when the world is your enemy, you take what you can get.

Secondly, how would the United States benefit from the transactions? They dont' get a commission. And I hardly think that changing Euros to Dollars to do business with Iraq would be sufficiently large transactions to move the currency markets.