Oh, this is rich...

One of the reasons we've got such high oil prices at the moment is that, aside from shortages of supply, there's more competition among customers. We now have to bid against China and India and other emerging markets for our oil. Today, US officials complained that China is cheating by locking in long-term contracts to buy oil from evil governments like Sudan and Iran. We don't buy oil from either country, see. We're just so principled, after all.

Here's an ex-government guy, quoted in the New York Times today: "They are buying long-term supplies wherever they find them, including in unsavory places like Sudan, Iran and Burma, where we won't buy," said Michael J. Green, a Georgetown University professor who directed policy on China at the National Security Council until late last year. "They say it is benign, because they don't interfere with the internal affairs of other nations. And we say it is anything but benign, because it finances these regimes' bad behavior."

It's really nice to see some one take a principled stand on trade issues.

But, I can think of at least one trading partner that we have, that is run by a tyrannical government that oppresses its own people and has even invaded neighboring countries... oh yeah, that'd be... China.