Owen Jones — The UK Can’t Save Itself, Let Alone Gaza

As much as I love the British journalist Owen Jones, and I really do, I wish he’d break out of his English political echo chamber and realize that getting members of Parliament to admit, on camera, that there’s a genocide going on won’t change much.

On the surface, Gaza is a battle between Zionists and Palestinians, sure. But there’s more to it. The UK is in terminal energy decline, which began in 2000 and re-accelerated in 2021.

In the past decade, UK’s energy problems have lead it to scale back economic support for Palestinians. Owen doesn’t touch this third rail. Should his fellow Englishmen feed Palestinians in Gaza when they have rising costs at home?

Israel too, is facing the pressure of growing fossil fuel constraints.

Worse, Israel faces an internal toxic stew, dealing with internal conflicts between Ashkenazi (Zionist), Mizrahi, Haredi, Arab and independent Jews. All familiar with a well-worn path to venting their frustrations on a common problem — Palestinians.

No country in the West can easily afford to support Palestinians anymore — which it used to do.

Owen Jones seems to believe that if the UK stops providing parts to the F-35 fighter Israel will have to stop bombing and the Palestinians will be free.

He ignores all these first-mover problems which are hiding in plain sight. For most Britons: that’s higher electricity prices, higher heating costs, weak manufacturing. Long wait-times for healthcare. Garbage piling up. You name it.

These problems began before October 7th.

Don’t believe the UK has become desperate for oil and gas? Look at all the wealthy foreigners from oil-rich nations buying up the nicest housing in London. A phenomenon that began in the early 2000s.

Russians launder rubbles in the West which are recycled back to oil purchases from Russia. Despite the sanctions, that continues to this day.

Britain’s Energy Story: Rise and Fall

After WWII, Britain was pretty much bankrupt. All its gold gone. No coal. No oil. Then it enjoyed a reprieve.

I’m talking about North Sea oil and gas discoveries in the 1960s-70s, which transformed Britain’s energy landscape, making it briefly energy independent.

This is the golden age Owen Jones would like to return.

Unfortunately, North Sea oil and gas production has collapsed. The UK now imports 44% of its energy needs.

These are some stark statistics. Oil production is down 76% from its 2000 peak. Natural gas production is down 73% from a 2000 peak.

Understanding Conflict Through an Energy Lens

Back to Gaza. Before genocide begins, what conditions often exist before violence erupts? Have we seen this before? What conditions did both Germans and Jews face before Kristallnacht? What conditions did both Israelis and Palestinians face before October 7th?

In Europe, both the 1930s and 2020s share something crucial in common. In both eras, recent explosions in technology promised a higher standard of living for everyone. Yet not everyone could acquire the new technologies or what they produced.

The reason they couldn’t is simple. There wasn’t enough energy to build everything for everyone. Nonetheless, everyone believed one day they would be able to get what they wanted. That’s the beauty of modern marketing.

Then the goal posts started moving. As new technologies demanded ever more amounts of fuel, you can look at AI today as an example (or radio broadcasting in the 1930s) energy was redirected away from the poor and toward maintaining the lifestyles of the wealthy.

The Historical Pattern

Back to the 1930s. As the energy-poor became angry, elite-backed politicians distracted them with other issues. When that no longer worked, they scapegoated minority groups and weaker nations.

That was particularly deadly in Europe, which for centuries was antisemitic.

The elites of England and France knew that Germany was suffering more any anyone, but chose to ignore it. Sure, the Versailles agreement was crushing, but they believed the Germans could endure it indefinitely (just as Israelis believed the Palestinians in Gaza could).

It turned out they couldn’t.

Gaza, once again, is a situation where the global wealthy are burning fuel for their own interests and cutting back everywhere else — especially in North Africa and Gaza.

Owen doesn’t point out that Gaza can’t grow enough food to survive, or mine fuel, etc. It survives on $1.5 billion a year from the US, EU, Germany, Belgium, etc.

Those donations are not keeping up with inflation. How could they? How can the U.K. for example, politically give money (energy) to Gaza when it’s running out itself?

Why doesn’t Owen point out that UK aid to Gaza peaked around 2018–2019 at over £100 million annually but dropped significantly to around £22–30 million in 2021–2023. Of course, the UK doesn’t want to harm Gaza. But if you don’t have energy, you don’t have money.

Let’s recap. What are the sequence of events leading to genocides? I understand my theory is not mainstream. It’s just one factor.

When we have more technology and people facing growing deficits of energy, the following happens:

- Energy limits hit
- Top 20% protects its consumption (that includes you and I)
- Politicians distract broader population with culture war issues
- When that fails, scapegoat minorities and external enemies
- Elites ignore warning signs of societal collapse until too late

The Renewable Energy Mirage

You might believe renewables are working. Are they? Renewables are still built and maintained by fossil fuels. They can’t replicate themselves. There are no solar-powered factories producing more solar panels. No wind farm powered factories making EVs.

Look around. What percentage of what you buy is possible without fossil fuels being burned somewhere along the line, either in production or transportation?

Renewables help increase the electricity supply, but not enough. And ultimately, because they need to be replaced every 15-30 years, still rely on fossil fuels.

As those fuel prices go up UK farmers must raise prices. Utilities must raise prices.

The Uncomfortable Pattern

As Western nations face these energy constraints, foreign aid budgets shrink and geopolitical cynicism grows. The UK’s aid to Gaza fell by 70% from 2019–2023 — not because of malice, but because declining energy wealth forces impossible choices. Meanwhile, these same nations maintain military relationships with Middle Eastern partners (including Israel — especially Israel!), prioritizing energy security over humanitarian concerns.

Of course, all this is illogical. Destroying the homes of Palestinians just makes it more expensive in the long run, increasing pressure on energy supplies. Same in Ukraine.

If Owen Jones really wants to fix things, he needs to ask serious questions.

For example, who gets the remaining dregs of North Sea oil? That’s a question Owen Jones should ask fellow Britons.

The Stark Choice

As I’ve argued elsewhere, oil goes to those who control it. In the 1940s the UK controlled Iranian oil.

Does that mean, if we jump ahead to the end-game, that the UK must go to war with Russia to gain control of Siberian oil and gas? Or maybe help the U.S. with Venezuela.

I don’t want to minimize what Israel is doing. I don’t want to minimize the herculean efforts Owen Jones has made in attracting attention to the tragedy in Gaza. However, when I saw him harassing politicians at the Labour conference, trying to get them to say they support genocide, instead of working as a reporter, which is how he gained access, I feel he’s lost sight of what he is — a journalist.

Ask the question, is the West allowing its weapons to be used to commit atrocities in foreign lands to maintain living standards at home? That’s a brutal way of looking at it, sure. Nonetheless there is historical precedent.

These aren’t questions for politicians to answer, it’s for the public to answer — Owen’s audience.

Perhaps Owen won’t ask them because he knows their response. What if he fears that they will stop following him? That many will turn on him.

Many would.