I thought the crux of our disagreement concerned the extent to which it makes sense to think of the domestic energy markets in isolation from the world markets. The view you attribute to me is nonetheless close to the one I actually hold: that we have an interest in the political character of Mideastern regimes, and this interest is related to the region’s oil. Even if you disagree with those contentions, I’m sure you’d agree that it does not simply follow from them that we ought to use military force to transform the politics of the region. The considerations you adduce–e.g., the probability of success–would be among the things that might prevent that conclusion from following.