America Benefits From Unstable Energy Markets
This opinion piece argues that the United States is increasingly benefiting from instability in global energy markets, particularly in the Persian Gulf. For decades, the region's energy infrastructure was considered untouchable due to its critical role in the global economy. However, this assumption is eroding as Washington demonstrates a growing tolerance for regional instability when it reinforces American strategic advantages. The article contends that the liberal order's theory of economic interdependence preventing conflict is under strain. As U.S.-China rivalry intensifies, interdependence is viewed not as mutual restraint but as a map of vulnerabilities. Since China's industrial model relies heavily on imported hydrocarbons, with significant oil volumes passing through the Strait of Hormuz, introducing uncertainty imposes substantial costs on Beijing that exceed those of tariffs or sanctions. Consequently, U.S. policy has shifted towards accepting disruption that falls unevenly, leveraging America's superior capacity to absorb shocks and attract safe-haven capital. This approach reflects an instinctive preference for a system where competitors face higher energy security risks, thereby enhancing American leverage in energy production and alliances without requiring direct doctrinal shifts.
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America Benefits From Unstable Energy Markets
This opinion piece argues that the United States is increasingly benefiting from instability in global energy markets, particularly in the Persian Gulf. For decades, the region's energy infrastructure was considered untouchable due to its critical role in the global economy. However, this assumption is eroding as Washington demonstrates a growing tolerance for regional instability when it reinforces American strategic advantages. The article contends that the liberal order's theory of economic interdependence preventing conflict is under strain. As U.S.-China rivalry intensifies, interdependence is viewed not as mutual restraint but as a map of vulnerabilities. Since China's industrial model relies heavily on imported hydrocarbons, with significant oil volumes passing through the Strait of Hormuz, introducing uncertainty imposes substantial costs on Beijing that exceed those of tariffs or sanctions. Consequently, U.S. policy has shifted towards accepting disruption that falls unevenly, leveraging America's superior capacity to absorb shocks and attract safe-haven capital. This approach reflects an instinctive preference for a system where competitors face higher energy security risks, thereby enhancing American leverage in energy production and alliances without requiring direct doctrinal shifts.
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