Arguably we got oil when we needed it.
Not efficiently, and yes, we created, directly or indirectly, the worst threats over therefrom Al-Qaeda to ISIS, Saudi Arabias wahabi export and Iran.
Oh, and trillions in arms sales. Not admirable or really defendable, but we had motivations that went beyond our Cold War proxy fights.
I think it's worth studying how the Chinese get resources from Third World countries, and model our approach after theirs.
They don't seem to suffer any consequences with terrorism or immigration.
The Chinese are in Afghanistan mining the heck out of that place for minerals.
There was a Chinese mining operation just a few miles from my outpost when I was there in 2012.
The Taliban never bothered those guys.
Same with Africa. The Chinese are colonizing Africa like crazy. Extracting valuable natural resources.
Agreed—both for example and as a concerning trend in its own right.
The Chinese are much better at playing the long game. We of course have been captive to the “military-industrial complex” for three-quarters of a century now.