To paraphrase Euripides, those whom the modern-day gods would destroy, they first give too much oil and power.

We have today two stories of oil-fueled despots in alliance. First, Iran’s Ahmadinejad’s economic illiteracy is coming home to roost:

Ahmadinejad, with his peculiar and literal belief that he has divine backing, was not inhibited by this record of prudence. With a total oil revenue in the first two years of his presidency of $120 billion (