My paternal grandfather was a humble man. Possessed of an eighth-grade education, he worked all his life as a journalist, making sure the Nashville Tennessean and Nashville Banner newspapers printed each day. He encouraged my learning and read my term papers out loud, making comments and giving praise.

One day, I remember him saying we (Americans) shouldn’t obsess over the Middle East. While it isn’t a true statement, he said, “They’ve been killing each other forever.” Sadly, with recent events in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank and now Lebanon, his comment rings more true than false. And no, my grandpa wasn’t an isolationist. If any set of causes reminds us of the reason many Europeans fled the wars of religion in the 18th century, this does it for many.

Yes, oil, petroleum and related precious materials seem to be one reason we obsess over the region. Who knows what could occur if “the wrong parties” had control over all that oil? Even as we try to migrate away from the limited utility fossil fuels provide for eternity, their hold on us continues. And this is true even though many oil kingdoms and other nations hardly pass muster as democracies. Many say that “oil remains king,” and that is why America cares about the........

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