"damn glad I don't have a child right now"

That and a political outlook that can best be likened to a hypochondriac's illness list.

Iraq and Iran will be fine. Oil creates its own constant violence and conflicts, but too many powerful folks have a vested interest in at least quasi stability in these regions.

The US will not pull out anytime soon. I suspect Rumsfeld's 10 year plan is still in effect and will be carried out, simply because the countries now buying Iraqi oil (who wouldn't be sold to under a fundametalist or Euro-based oil infrastructure) will exert their influence to keep the status quo.

If something happens it will happen in Iran. And that will, in turn relocate the stage. Iraq will no longer be the Iranians' playground, because they will be up to their ears in securing their own infrastructure from devastating, satellite guided, precision demolition and possibly even more horrifying human attacks from Al Qaeda.

Iran wants to have oil to sell. The world wants to buy Iranian oil. A small demonstration of how easily Iran's oil industry can be disrupted will quickly get the Iranians' attention (as well as the world's huge financially sponsored protest).

As we speak Iranians are digging into mountains to continue to secure their nuclear enrichhment facilities and continuing weapons program from anticipated western hostilities.

They want it, they are expecting it.

They are pretty ignorant. But pointing that out borders on redundancy.

Though even if the Iran/Iraq war reappears in a new form - it is not the end of the world. It merely means oil will go up in price. A few fat CEOs will get even fatter as they gouge the public in response to the conflict.

Meanwhile Tesla Motors will have a wildly successful IPO and open dealerships in ever major city of every state, producing 100s of thousands of vehicles a year and bringing the price down to a comparable equipped petroleum powered vehicle. At which point, all the oil based nations will stand up and take notice that in a relatively short time (a few decades) no one will give a darn about the sticky, toxic goo in the ground and that they better lower the prices and pump it out while its still wanted.

;-)

Equilibrium

Equal amounts of good and evil in ALL things.