Merchants and traders who travel along these routes must stop at oases to replenish food and water supplies and this means that whoever controls an oasis also controls the trade along the route—making oases desirable to political, economic, and military leaders.
With the Arms and Space Races becoming increasingly important, Kennedy knew he needed to crush communism as well, to show the Soviets that it was unacceptable for their govt. to spread.
It would be "debt" because farmers were always in debt when their farms weren't doing the best
