The clue light, dimly

Russia, China and OPEC oil-producing countries have a worrisome potential to use their growing financial clout to exert political pressure, the top U.S. spy chief told Congress on Tuesday.

U.S. National Director of Intelligence Michael McConnell voiced the concern to Congress in his annual assessment of potential security threats to the United States...

He voiced concerns about the impact of a weaker U.S. dollar on global oil suppliers, some of whom have asked to be paid in currencies other than dollars, or delinked their currency pegs to the dollar.

"Continued concerns about dollar depreciation could tempt other producers to follow suit," McConnell said.

He must be reading this blog...

Seriously, though, any nation that sells itself into financial bondage for cheap plasma TVs and lead-painted toys can't build a good case for sympathy when they awake to find other countries holding a whip hand.