I recall one episode that illustrates a certain conceptual blindness, an ethical denial that such a major event as a war could be driven by sheer greed.

Well put.

I think it is a combination of sheer greed - the confluence of Big Oil and Big Money - and the ruthless pragmatism superbly illustrated from 1.10 to 1.40 by Cliff Robertson in this clip.

"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson