I'm afraid I am not familiar with the history of US imperialism in Gambia - will for sure do some reading on it as you got me curious - but I also feel that an imperial power may also go after a state to squash their sense of independence and sovereignty. Cuba and Iran vis a vis the US come to mind as they cannot be explained purely in economic terms. So not only do I agree that states do things for all kinds of reasons, I also feel not all of them are economic. Having said all this, I fear economics do play a fundamental role.
Actually, an interesting argument I heard is not so much that it the oil lobby pushing for Nato intervention in Libya, but rather the banking lobby, and of course, all tied together with the position of the petrodollar. Peter Dale Scott (of UC Berkeley) wrote an interesting article on it that may be worth a look!
I love your closing line!!!
Sorry - I meant to say UK imperialism in Gambia!
I'm afraid I am not familiar with the history of US imperialism in Gambia - will for sure do some reading on it as you got me curious - but I also feel that an imperial power may also go after a state to squash their sense of independence and sovereignty. Cuba and Iran vis a vis the US come to mind as they cannot be explained purely in economic terms. So not only do I agree that states do things for all kinds of reasons, I also feel not all of them are economic. Having said all this, I fear economics do play a fundamental role.
Actually, an interesting argument I heard is not so much that it the oil lobby pushing for Nato intervention in Libya, but rather the banking lobby, and of course, all tied together with the position of the petrodollar. Peter Dale Scott (of UC Berkeley) wrote an interesting article on it that may be worth a look!
http://www.redfortyeight.com/2011/04/30/peter-dale-scott-on-libya/