Struggling to get by on $20 billion

I read recently in The Wall Street Journal that Saudi billionaire Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal informed the Saudi oil minister, Ali Al-Naimi, that the U.S. boon in shale oil and gas will reduce its thirst for Saudi crude oil.

The good prince, beneficiary of old President Bush’s policy of saving Kuwait and thereby protecting the Saudi government, is only worth $20 billion and lamented that the revenue of his nation was totally reliant on oil sales and would leave the country vulnerable when demand drops due to other nations’ domestic production.

Perhaps the poor prince is asking America to cough up a few more billions of dollars in order to protect his regal tail end. Think of it: No man should have to live on only $20 billion. I have posed this question all too many times to friends and to this newspaper. Would somebody please advise me whether, through three ears, the United States has ever received one free barrel of oil, either from Kuwait or Saudi Arabia or any other oil-producing country?

I hope I live long enough to see the mid-eastern oil countries drink their own oil for water and America thumb its nose at their governments.

Joseph. F. Mirabella

Lisle