this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2026
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No Stupid Questions

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[–] Infrapink@thebrainbin.org 21 points 6 days ago (1 children)

In August 2000, Iraq switched to selling oil in euros instead of dollars. Within two years, Iraq ~~was responsible for 9/11~~ had weapons of mass destruction.

Two things of note came in the wake of the absolute clusterfuck of replacing Saddam Hussein. Iraq brought back the death penalty, and started selling oil in dollars again.

[–] ultranaut@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Linking the invasion of Iraq with their selling oil in Euros makes no sense at all.

[–] GuyIncognito@lemmy.ca 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Maintenance of the petrodollar has long been a core US geopolitical concern

[–] ultranaut@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago (2 children)

To some extent but it's really not that important. Oil gets traded for all kinds of things besides dollars, it's never been so big a deal that the US would engineer a very dumb war over it. Maybe there were some for whom it was a motivating factor in their support for attacking Iraq, but by and large the animating force was not concern about what currency Iraqi oil exports are traded for. It makes no real difference to anything, it's not significant.

[–] GuyIncognito@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago

I'm not sold on the Iraq invasion being about Iraq selling oil not in USD, but you're drastically underplaying the significance of the petrodollar, especially 20 years ago.

[–] axus@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

What was the animating force for the invasion?

[–] ultranaut@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

It's complicated to explain but the easiest summary is "neoconservative ideology" and a certain kind of postmodern imperialism that came to dominate US elite culture following 9/11. Read up on PNAC if you want to dig into it more.

[–] d00ery@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

Iraq, which has called the dollar the currency of its "enemy state," informed oil customers earlier this month to start making payments in euros, beginning November 1. Baghdad also has threatened to stop oil exports, the bulk of which flows through the UN humanitarian program, if its request for payment in the euro is denied.

https://gulfnews.com/business/energy/un-says-iraq-switch-to-euros-would-be-costly-1.433781

After the invasion it switched back to the us dollar. https://medium.com/%40gsaidheeraj/from-saddam-to-maduro-the-hidden-cost-of-pricing-oil-beyond-the-dollar-2b9e373cc944

It's certainly a coincidence. I'm sure it's not a justification for war, or even a threat of war.

[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Trump would invade England.. Because reasons.

[–] flowers_galore2@lemmynsfw.com 9 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Uh, that’s the pound sterling. Unless they want to unbrexit. (not gonna happen as long as Farage is still haunting the country).

[–] ambitious_bones@lemmy.world 18 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Trump invading the UK cause he thinks they have the Euro would probably surprise no one at this point.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 1 points 6 days ago

Trump's not stupid, he would most likely invade someone who can't hit back like Ukraine.

[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 3 points 6 days ago

That was the joke.

[–] Lectral@lemmy.ca 1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

I think the term should be breturn or maybe bre-enter. Pardon me. My brain's taking me on a side quest.

[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 11 points 6 days ago

A big fat tantrump.

I would say that they could use that to print money with less inflation but Europeans (read: Germans) will never print money.

So, I don’t know, probably use a strong € to buy Japanese companies since the yen is weak now.

[–] rbos@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 days ago

There should really be a currency specifically for intergovernmental banking, so that no one government can manipulate it to their ends.

A lot of entities would have to agree on who to bully.

[–] jimmy90@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

i think the euro has started to act as a reserve currency but not the reserve currency

iirc when the dollar became the world currency it had good and bad effects. one of the side effects was the massive increase in national debt to create the currency (securities) for people to invest in. it's got so large that there is actual risk on the US defaulting on these debts as the US economy struggles to keep up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_currency

i think more likely will be the increased use of Chinese currency as a reserve

[–] _Nico198X_@europe.pub 2 points 5 days ago

Yuan is unlikely due to unpredictability of gov influence on the currency