The recent refusal by the Saudis to increase their oil output, thereby  reducing the stress on our economy, which would have a reflexive action to reduce the cost per gallon and to support our currency a bit, was a slap in our collective Judeochristian faces.  The Saudis, via OPEC, which they command, have developed all of the drilling and refining capability that they desire for now, and feel that our respect for the Israelis, as well as our President's recent comments on terrorism, were not to go unpunished.  OPEC is "secretly" (it's no secret now) anticipating the day that they convert to basing of the cost of a gallon of oil on the Euro, rather than the US Dollar.  Members of OPEC are rolling in so much "dough" right now that it would be no big loss for them to convert their dollars into Euros anytime soon.  That tactic, in combination with Iran's insistence that it will convert to a Euro-based pricing structure, and China's not-so-hidden desire to dump many of the bonds it has purchased in US dollars, will all come in syncrony, and this "perfect storm" will have a devastating effect on our economy.  Iran will continue to pursue its caliphate, the Saudis will have plenty of money to pay Iran to ignore the sheik's sinful ways, and China will be snickering in its beer as our economy is brought to its knees.  When this happens, we must implore our President to review a few chapters out of the Nixon presidency.  During the 1970's Arab oil embargo, Richard M. Nixon strongly considered commandeering the oil fields to assure that we and Europe were able to rely upon a secure and continuous flow of oil for the purpose of stabilizing our economies.  Kissenger, his then Secretary of State, warned him that he would be the most hated president in US history, and so he backed down.  George W. Bush is already the most disliked president in recent history, so if he had to do this, his popularity rating wouldn't matter very much.  The sheiks have plenty of money.  If Bush wants to go down in history as one of the greatest presidents of all time, (say reflected upon in 50 to 100 years from now), he will consider such a move, and will have our military attack and decimate Iran's theocracy and their nuclear ambitions, before he leaves office.  If he does none of these, and Obama becomes president, this will only accelerate the US decline and may even irrevocably destroy our republic.  I truly hope that the stupidity that the US electorate exhibited in 2006 when it elected Pollozi to the House, and created a Democratic majority in the Senate, will have dissipated by the November 2008 elections.  But then again, the destruction of our country, which will clearly be the fault of the Dems at that point, may be the very thing that we need to get our Republic back on a healthy economic track.  A few terrrorist strikes with loss of human life added in for "good measure" may be the very thing we need to shake our electorate by the damn shoulders to shake some sense into their mentally-dulled sensoriums.