9/04/2004 03:46:00 PM|||Joe|||I've had some strange random thoughts.

I know nearly nothing about economics. I know only enough to be very confused by it.

But I do wonder if some actions by the administration are motivated by strange, obscure economic strategies that are too complicated to explain to reporters, let alone to the public.

The war in Iraq is widely perceived to be connected to oil. France and Germany, who opposed the war on ostensibly legal and moral grounds, are on the euro. Great Britain, who's government supported us, is not on the euro.

Like I said — I know almost nothing about this stuff. But I do know that some in Europe have been pushing to have oil valued in euros rather than U.S. Dollars.

On this hunch, I have come across some web sites that suggest that this was a major motivation for the war in Iraq. I'm apparently late to this party. Iraq started selling its oil for euros in late 2000.

Iran and North Korea, coincidentally enough, are converting to or using the euro for trade.

I really don't know what conclusions to draw here. Is the war on terrorism kind of a front for a war to protect the dollar? And if so, how should I, as an American, feel about that? Would world-wide adoption of the euro lead to bad consequences for the U.S. economy?

Is this why anti-French sentiment is being pushed so strongly? Is that what this election is about?

And finally, is this all old news? Or is this a bunch of conspiracy nonsense?|||109433952458691171|||Meanderings