Sunday, 03 November, 2002
Buying Gas Supports Terrorism?
I got an interesting email from a friend of mine today. It's one of those silly chain letter calls to action that you see from time to time. I had to stop and think about this one, though, and I'm still pondering it. The subject: Oil Imports Pay for Terrorism. The reasoning:
Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money in the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis. Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends.
The messages goes on to list the oil companies that do and do not import Saudi oil, claiming that their source is published reports from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Yes, I know that the Saudi government does not promote terrorism. In fact, they actively discourage it. However, there's no doubt in my mind that some Saudi citizens side with the radicals who would like to see the United States destroyed. How much of what I pay for a tank at the local Texaco station finds its way to those who would do me harm? This isn't going to keep me up nights, but it's something to think about.