Looks like the global recession, falling oil prices, and the world’s lack of funds to pay oil extortion money may contribute to the end of the world’s worst cartel. And here’s why:

Saudi Arabia needs oil prices of less than $30 a barrel to balance its government budget, according to Merrill Lynch & Co. estimates. The United Arab Emirates requires $40 a barrel and Qatar $55.

Iran, with double the population of Saudi Arabia, has a breakeven point of about $100 a barrel, according to Edward Morse, managing director and chief economist at Louis Capital Markets LP in New York. In Venezuela, where President Hugo Chavez’s government is spending oil revenue on social programs, the figure is about $120, he said.

Oil options trading shows the probability that crude will fall below $50 a barrel by June has more than doubled in 10 days, Deutsche Bank AG said in an Oct. 17 report. There is a 9 percent likelihood that June 2009 crude oil contracts will expire below $50, up from 4 percent, Deutsche said.

There is squabbling among the sheiks, and this can only be good news for the world’s working stiffs. And then there were these grand old times:

Eleven years ago, OPEC members bickered about output quotas as oil slid 28 percent in 10 months amid the onset of the Asian financial crisis. At a meeting in Jakarta in November 1997, they raised quotas, ignoring the turmoil that slowed Asian economies and cut oil demand. Prices fell another 44 percent by December 1998 to below $11 a barrel.

Time to get us to alternative fuels.

For those people out there insisting that cheap gas will get Americans back to their gas-guzzling ways: No, it won’t. I was gassing up on Sunday and chatting with the gentleman in the SUV next to me about the low gas prices. “It won’t last,” he said. That’s the attitude that most people have. We’re happy for the relief, but know we have to change our driving habits. The elites don’t understand that Americans aren’t as stupid as they think.

In the meantime, enjoy the falling gas prices. It’s down to $2.25 in Richmond, and still falling.

An Israeli reporter has found a cache of artifacts looted from Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues from the Krystallnacht pogrom.

An Israeli investigative reporter has discovered a large amount of personal and ceremonial artifacts which were looted from Jews during Kristallnacht in 1938.

The items have recently been unearthed by Yaron Svoray at a waste site the size of four soccer fields in Brandenburg, located north of Berlin.

Kristallnacht, also known as the “Night of Broken Glass” or the “Crystal Night pogroms,” saw the destruction of more than 200 synagogues and the ransacking of tens of thousands of Jewish businesses and homes. During the Nazi pogrom 92 Jews were murdered and 25,000–30,000 were arrested and deported to concentration camps.

The waste site is located in close proximity to the former home of Hermann Goering, who commanded the German air force (Luftwaffe) during World War II.

The Germans are proving that they haven’t exactly remembered the right lessons from that night.

The search for additional artifacts at the site is ongoing under the constant watch of bodyguards, this after Svoray complained of threats made on his life.

And the investigation had to be kept under wraps—because the market for Nazi memorabilia is extremely profitable.

Svoray refrained from making his findings public for fear that the site would attract people looking to get their hands on Nazi treasures.

“There are no real treasures here, but there is still a danger that the site will turn into a circus of auctions organized by skinheads,” he said, “the site is drawing more and more interest; people are starting to dig.”

Even better, Germans are going to erect a museum near the spot. For Herman Goerring, the manufacturer of one of the Nazis that spread “The Big Lie,” which not only helped murder Jews back in the 30s and 40s, but which was co-opted by the Arabs and Muslims and is used today (cf: Mohammed al-Dura, Jews trying to destroy al-Aqsa, etc.).

The journalist also reported of a plan to erect a hunting museum in Goerring’s honor at the site. He said that so far his repeated efforts to scuttle the plan have failed.

It’s good to know that Germans have their priorities straight. Robbing Jewish artifacts and destroying them in search of Nazi memorabilia? No problem. Erecting a museum to one of the architects of the Final Solution? Absolutely. Helping Jews recover their heritage? Piss off.

Yet another kassam rocket fired into Israel from Gaza. Yet another yawn from, well, everyone.

A Kassam rocket was launched into Israel from the Gaza Strip Tuesday evening.

The rocket fell in an open area north of the Strip. There were no casualties and no damage.

Following the attack, Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed security forces to keep the crossings with the Gaza Strip closed on Wednesday, as has been routinely done in the past.

Let’s see how (or even if) the wire services spin this.