Re: I didn't know we were responsible for everyone. (again)
We *are* responsible to maintain our agreements with other nations (unless broken or until dissolved, such as the ABM treaty.)
At least that's how it works, theoretically.
Yep, there's the bullshit. Why is it that Japan cannot ensure that it has access to the oil it needs? Why do we have to do that?
There's that treaty thing. By treaty, Japan is an ally and, due to justifiable paranoia on our part, has not been allowed to create or maintain a large army or navy. (You do remember what got us into World War 2, right? Japan attacking Pearl Harbor and immediately thereafter seizing every oil and other mineral resource they could grab in the far east?)
In general I agree with the thought that we should generally disentangle ourselves from other nations as much as possible. If the Saudis want to make their women wear veils, chop hands off thieves, behead people for other offenses, that's their business.... unless they make the mistake of *making* it our business, as the Taliban did by supporting a terrorist group that killed thousands of our people.
Unfortunately, there you get into the question. We *do* currently need oil from the Middle East. Theoretical pipe dreams about living without it aside, it would take years to muster the resources - which yes, we should do, but that's not the here and now.