Good pipelines require/make good neighbors

■"How a Thirst Led To a Thaw," by Manjeet Kripalani, Businessweek, 15 November 2004, http://www.businessweek.com/print/magazine/content/04_46/b3908046.htm?chan=mz&.

Article sent to me by reader reminds us yet again of the military market nexus: you need energy to develop and that energy takes infrastructure and so you do what you have to in order to make that infrastructure come about.

Is this the logic of resource wars? Shouldnít an India desperate for Iranian natural gas simply wage war with obstacle Pakistan in order to achieve its energy security?

Or do the leaders of the two countries agree to an unprecedented series of negotiations for India to build a gas pipeline from Iran to India that passes through Pakistan in exchange for transit fees plus some of the gas being bled off for Pakistan's use? As the article says, "Funny how a thirst for energy can make the oldest of foes suddenly eager to cooperate." Funny to everyone except military planners who still dream of nuclear war in South Asia.

But India isn't stopping there. "Indeed, India is conducting petroleum diplomacy throughout the region and beyond"óas in Burma, Bangladesh (another pipeline), Sudan, Russia, Vietnam, and Iraq.

And guess what? "Everywhere it goes looking for petroleum, India is overshadowed by China."

Geez, I thought only America did this sort of thing! So I guess it will have to be India and China, in addition to America, "waging perpetual war all over the planet."

Or not.