The OPEC oil crisis was a major issue during the beginning period of the 1970's and it helped show America how much it relied on foreign oil from other countries especially the Middle East. The conflict started when the Arab countries of the Middle Est were are war with ISrael in the 1960's and eventually the 1970's. There was a major oil embargo against the USA and the Nwetherlands for their support of Israel during the War. The Unite d States at the time was supplying the ISrael forces with bombers and fighters to gain total air superiority. Because of this unfair advantage in the air the Arab countries became very furiou8s at the Unitedt Staes. So in orer to get back at the USA the Arab members of OPEC had a little meeting with the USA. The OPEC orginization wanted to the USA to make a price increase on oil so the US gladly attempted o raise the proice. However the Arab members said it woasn't good enough so they made a new price all on their own. Then the entire meeting ended when OPEC and the US coundn't make a deal. Suddenly the United States was without oil from the oil rich countries of the Mid East.

A second increase to the prices occured again when the price went to eleven dollars which nearly doubled the orignial price that was orignally set. This sudden control over the Unitedt States by the Middle East casued a major economic blow to the USA. The US has imported nearly a third of its oil from the Middle East since 1973. Also the US has little room for holding surplus oil. The whole country was in a giant domestic shortage and the COuntry was 9 Billion dollars in debt. The US has also decided to take drastic measures to stop another outburst like what they just had. The International Energy Agency was set up to protect countries from losing oil imports. "Thirty years ago oil counted for 8% of our total goods in the Unitedt States while now it is only 3%. The United States has also developed new technologies to help replace another total oil crisis. The number of nuclear reactors has increased since 1973 and solar and wind power has greatly improved. The USA has alos created the Strategic Oil Reserve which help stores surplus oil under the Mexican Gulf in salt caverns. The United States still relies heavily on foreign oil and another meeting by OPEC could still have the same economic blow

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