Put a Tyrant In Your Tank
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05. 7.08
The Democratic candidates for President keep bashing Canada and Mexico, but on their next bus ride might want to read two articles about who else supplies America with oil and gas. Mother Jones notes that:
"We're "seeing a further shifting in the oil industry in which national oil companies are the power brokers," says Andrew Neff, senior energy analyst at economic forecaster Global Insight. Anyone inclined to celebrate Big Oil's recent misfortunes had better hold off on the champagne. For however badly the Western firms may have behaved, the new global oil barons could one day leave environmental and social activists nostalgic for the bad old days of ExxonMobil." ::Mother Jones
Thomas Friedman writes about the rise of petro-authoritarianism:
"I've long argued that the price of oil and the pace of freedom operate in an inverse correlation - which I call: "The First Law of Petro-Politics." As the price of oil goes up, the pace of freedom goes down. As the price of oil goes down, the pace of freedom goes up. "There are 23 countries in the world that derive at least 60 percent of their exports from oil and gas, and not a single one is a real democracy," explains [political scientist Larry] Diamond. "Russia, Venezuela, Iran and Nigeria are the poster children" for this trend, where leaders grab the oil tap to ensconce themselves in power." ::New York Times
Bravo, well said information. When will it stop. The oil companies made billions of dollars in profit last year how can they allow such gouging to go on? Thanks for the words, V
What's the comment of a "real democracy" all about? I believe the oil money in Venezuela is more evenly distributed than in here in Canada... Does he consider investing oil profits into universal social programs less equitable than giving it away to already rich corporations? Is it the author's opinion that investing in the poor majority is a crooked way of a politician ensuring his continued popularity? If so, we need more crooked politicians like that here.
And what is the definition of real democracy? One that allows you to vote on issues, rather than for a politician that will change the laws for the benefit of a rich elite group? I don't know of any countries like that...
One only has to look into who Thomas Friedman is and they will realize this man is a horrible source of "informed" opinion. He is wrong on so many big issues he does not have the credibility for this venue. (Which is saying a lot since the NY Times isn't that great.)
Each of his examples differ so much they should not be lumped together. Iran is totally different than Venezuela for example.
As Ben Franklin expressed at the end of the constitutional convention: it doesn't matter who manages but how well it is managed and nothing stays well managed for forever, It applies to large scale resource management like this just as much as it does government.
The US oil industry is shafting people; we have corporate greed AND corrupt government (= 2 groups ripping you off.) Ours is horribly managed on both the public and private sides.
Perhaps the difference is that there is at least some pretence of democracy in the West and this at least moderates corruption. As Winston Churchill said "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
In the West we do tend to democracy as the only legitimate form of government, despite its flaws. However, the inherant advantage of democracy is in its inflexibility and inefficieny. It doesn't let people make wholesale changes or completely ignore its populace. Tell me of one genocide committed by a modern democracy.
Another thing is. At least you know you are being shafted. Despite business's and the government's best attempts at keeping people in the dark, we still know enough to be skeptical. We also have the freedom to be skeptical.
As for the examples given (I have to confess a great deal of ignorance in relation to Venezuala), they all give reason for concern. Russia is bitter at the West and is already bullying the countries that is supplies. The Iranian prime minister has pledged to destroy the West. Nigeria has an appalling human rights record. Not feeling the touchy-feely dictator who shares the wealth with his people here.