Friday 20 July 2012

Oil

I went to see my friend Greg Muttit speak in San Francisco yesterday. I took the BART (our tube) under the water and then cycled up the sunny San Francisco hills to get there.

Greg has published a book called 'Fuel on the Fire - Oil and Politics in Occupied Iraq.' After the protests against the war in 2003 he just started following what was happening to the oil. It became an epic journey.

Walking out of the talk and into the sunlight, I wanted to rage and cry to see, and cycle into, an 8 lane road. To have learnt of the straight forward barbarity that had been involved in securing access to oil, for two countries, my two countries if you like - the US and the UK - where transport cultures are based on the personal car, which everyone depends on to get to work, and where we rely on petrol trucks to bring us food. How else could we imagine these systems?

Greg explained that the US and UK didn't want to simply buy the oil from Iraq because demand was rising fast and Iraqi supply wasn't keeping up. The allies wanted more investment in the oil infrastructure and saw private ownership by US and UK companies as the way to secure that. It also seemed more secure in the long term, as demand for oil is rising fast around the world, particularly in countries like Russia, China, Brazil, India - so they wanted a way to keep the oil flowing towards us. 

Iraq has 10% of the world's oil. Iraq and three of its neighbours have, between them, 60% of the world's oil. And the industries of all four were nationally owned, meaning the profits were (potentially at least) available for schools, healthcare, housing and so on.

It was not in Iraqi interest to increase oil production the way the US wanted. That would drive down the price, so they'd sell more for the same amount of money, and have none left for future generations.

That didn't satisfy the US.

So, with allies, they invaded.

*     *     *

Once they were in, they had two central missions - to establish a post-Saddam democracy, and to secure access to the oil rights.

These two were firmly opposed - quite a puzzle to put together - because it wasn't in the Iraqi national interest to give oil rights to US and UK companies, and the people of Iraq - where 90% of the economy is in the public sector - knew it.

The allies tackled this by putting in place leaders who had been in exile in the US for over 30 years and were disconnected from the Iraqi people, more aligned with US values and interest. The US provided financial and military support, housed the politicians in army-secured five star hotels and villas while people in Iraq lived without electricity, often water, and sometimes food.

The first thing the US asked the new Iraqi government to do was draft an oil bill allowing foreign companies to buy the rights to Iraqi oil, and pass it through parliament. The bill was drafted in two months and shown the US and UK governments, and western oil companies. Six months later it was shown to the Iraqi parliament. A year later it was shown to the Iraqi people.

Meanwhile the bill was leaked. The minute any Iraqi heard of it, they would start talking about it to their friends, their family, their co-workers, because it was in such opposition to Iraqi values and interests.

The bill became talked about in mosques on fridays, Greg explained. The trade unions held conferences about it, passed out leaflets. Academics joined in. Countless letters were sent to the Iraqi parliament saying, don't sign it, it's bad news. Most of the Iraqi parliament agreed, and didn't sign the bill.

Bush was video conferencing with the Iraqi president almost weekly, Greg says - from interviews with scores of ministers and civil servants. Always asking one question first - when are you going to pass the oil bill?

As time went on the US issued a deadline and threats: if the bill was not passed by September, they would remove financial and military support for the government. In that case, the government would fall.

The deadline passed, the bill was not signed - this was 2007 - it has never been signed. So they just went ahead and sold 20 year contracts to American and British oil companies anyway. Meanwhile they ransacked the offices of the trade unions that were organising the opposition to the bill, destroying computers, destroying furniture, and reinstating Sadam's law that made trade union membership illegal. 

Without the bill, those contracts are illegal. Greg outlined a few future scenarios that I won't go into.

The point is, the oil is finite.

At some point we are going to have to figure out how to get to work and get food without using very much of it.

I'm thinking about having children. And I think we're just passing the job onto them. And it's always going to be difficult.

When is the time to start?

Over 100,000 Iraqi people were killed in that war. 4,486 American soldiers died, along with 179 British service men and women. Thanks to the BBC you can see the faces and the names of each of the British dead here.

33 comments:

  1. Scary times eh? And the reason we started on the self sufficient road. Just about to try your haloumi with milk squeezed from my very own goat by my very own hands. :)

    ReplyDelete

  2. Sportschuhe.

    Nike Mission: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the word, if you have a body you are an athlete. Das Leben ist ein Sport: Nike hat sich als Ziel gesetzt, mit innovativen produkten Athleten zu besserer Leistung zu verhelfen und jeden zu mehr Sport zu motivieren. Nike ist aber auch die Marke für einen sportlichen Lebensstil neben dem Sportplatz.


    Thank you!!! This is good!

    ReplyDelete


  3. Please you like my web sites ?

    social media

    Center Mass Media, a Denver Metro based Marketing Team. Contact us now at 720.336.9266 to discuss your next project!..
    Denver SEO Denver website design Denver marketing agency Denver branding company
    CENTER MASS MEDIA Center Mass Media | A Denver Metro Marketing Team

    Thank you so much..

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good. And it teaches us something new about. thank you very much.
    Thai Restaurant Auckland city

    ReplyDelete
  5. This article is very interesting .its must be helpful
    and informative for us. Thanks for sharing your nice post.
    needle stick

    ReplyDelete
  6. This site is very good to me. Because this site has much more sense post. So I am posting at the site.
    I would like to know more of the unknown. Top posts and takes a lot of good to me and to all of the beautiful and the good.
    cleaning in brisbane

    ReplyDelete
  7. V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors and Chartered Certified Accountants, represent an authoritative source on most aspects of tax and specialise in the following: Self-Assessment Tax advice, Self Employed Tax Returns, Company and Corporation Tax advice, Capital Gains Tax advice, Buy-To-Let Property Tax advice, Tax Planning and Tax Consultancy Services. With over 25 years of experience in the business of providing expert tax advice, V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors offer valuable information to clients to help them save money, reduce and mitigate tax. V P Associates, Chartered Tax Advisors & Chartered Certified Accountants, are the first and foremost specialists in taxation matters. Visit their site for a comprehensive list of services: http://vpassociates.com/

    Accountants Horsham

    ReplyDelete
  8. V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors and Chartered Certified Accountants, represent an authoritative source on most aspects of tax and specialise in the following: Self-Assessment Tax advice, Self Employed Tax Returns, Company and Corporation Tax advice, Capital Gains Tax advice, Buy-To-Let Property Tax advice, Tax Planning and Tax Consultancy Services. With over 25 years of experience in the business of providing expert tax advice, V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors offer valuable information to clients to help them save money, reduce and mitigate tax. V P Associates, Chartered Tax Advisors & Chartered Certified Accountants, are the first and foremost specialists in taxation matters. Visit their site for a comprehensive list of services: http://vpassociates.com/

    Accountants Hove

    ReplyDelete
  9. V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors and Chartered Certified Accountants, represent an authoritative source on most aspects of tax and specialise in the following: Self-Assessment Tax advice, Self Employed Tax Returns, Company and Corporation Tax advice, Capital Gains Tax advice, Buy-To-Let Property Tax advice, Tax Planning and Tax Consultancy Services. With over 25 years of experience in the business of providing expert tax advice, V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors offer valuable information to clients to help them save money, reduce and mitigate tax. V P Associates, Chartered Tax Advisors & Chartered Certified Accountants, are the first and foremost specialists in taxation matters. Visit their site for a comprehensive list of services: http://vpassociates.com/

    Accountants Hove

    ReplyDelete
  10. V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors and Chartered Certified Accountants, represent an authoritative source on most aspects of tax and specialise in the following: Self-Assessment Tax advice, Self Employed Tax Returns, Company and Corporation Tax advice, Capital Gains Tax advice, Buy-To-Let Property Tax advice, Tax Planning and Tax Consultancy Services. With over 25 years of experience in the business of providing expert tax advice, V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors offer valuable information to clients to help them save money, reduce and mitigate tax. V P Associates, Chartered Tax Advisors & Chartered Certified Accountants, are the first and foremost specialists in taxation matters. Visit their site for a comprehensive list of services: http://vpassociates.com/

    Accountants London

    ReplyDelete
  11. V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors and Chartered Certified Accountants, represent an authoritative source on most aspects of tax and specialise in the following: Self-Assessment Tax advice, Self Employed Tax Returns, Company and Corporation Tax advice, Capital Gains Tax advice, Buy-To-Let Property Tax advice, Tax Planning and Tax Consultancy Services. With over 25 years of experience in the business of providing expert tax advice, V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors offer valuable information to clients to help them save money, reduce and mitigate tax. V P Associates, Chartered Tax Advisors & Chartered Certified Accountants, are the first and foremost specialists in taxation matters. Visit their site for a comprehensive list of services: http://vpassociates.com/

    Accountants London

    ReplyDelete
  12. V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors and Chartered Certified Accountants, represent an authoritative source on most aspects of tax and specialise in the following: Self-Assessment Tax advice, Self Employed Tax Returns, Company and Corporation Tax advice, Capital Gains Tax advice, Buy-To-Let Property Tax advice, Tax Planning and Tax Consultancy Services. With over 25 years of experience in the business of providing expert tax advice, V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors offer valuable information to clients to help them save money, reduce and mitigate tax. V P Associates, Chartered Tax Advisors & Chartered Certified Accountants, are the first and foremost specialists in taxation matters. Visit their site for a comprehensive list of services: http://vpassociates.com/

    Accountants Redhill

    ReplyDelete
  13. V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors and Chartered Certified Accountants, represent an authoritative source on most aspects of tax and specialise in the following: Self-Assessment Tax advice, Self Employed Tax Returns, Company and Corporation Tax advice, Capital Gains Tax advice, Buy-To-Let Property Tax advice, Tax Planning and Tax Consultancy Services. With over 25 years of experience in the business of providing expert tax advice, V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors offer valuable information to clients to help them save money, reduce and mitigate tax. V P Associates, Chartered Tax Advisors & Chartered Certified Accountants, are the first and foremost specialists in taxation matters. Visit their site for a comprehensive list of services: http://vpassociates.com/

    Accountants Redhill

    ReplyDelete
  14. V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors and Chartered Certified Accountants, represent an authoritative source on most aspects of tax and specialise in the following: Self-Assessment Tax advice, Self Employed Tax Returns, Company and Corporation Tax advice, Capital Gains Tax advice, Buy-To-Let Property Tax advice, Tax Planning and Tax Consultancy Services. With over 25 years of experience in the business of providing expert tax advice, V P Associates Chartered Tax Advisors offer valuable information to clients to help them save money, reduce and mitigate tax. V P Associates, Chartered Tax Advisors & Chartered Certified Accountants, are the first and foremost specialists in taxation matters. Visit their site for a comprehensive list of services: http://vpassociates.com/

    Accountants Redhill

    ReplyDelete
  15. I found your blog post and like it. I’m impressed.You’re truly well informed and brilliant.I appreciate your effort to write this great blog.I think this blog provides informative information . Thanks for sharing such a nice blog post buy facebook likes.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Geile Sachen warten auf dich! Besuche uns jetzt unter Autoankauf Berlin und komm zu unser geilen Fickparty

    ReplyDelete
  17. Geile Sachen warten auf dich! Besuche uns jetzt unter Autoankauf Berlin und komm zu unser geilen Fickparty

    ReplyDelete

  18. Du hast es satt dir immer selbst ein runter zu holen oder hast den Wunsch das eine dir zuschaut wie du dir ein runter holst. Ich werde dir für ein Tag ein runter holen oder dir dabei zu schauen. Wir machen es in deinem Auto, danach trennen sich unsere Wege wieder


    Autoankauf München

    ReplyDelete
  19. 21.37 04-03-16



    Geile Sachen warten auf dich! Besuche uns jetzt unter Transporter verkaufen und komm zu unser geilen Fickparty

    ReplyDelete
  20. At Translatezilla.com, you can find professional translation services along with some helpful tools. Our free online translate tool makes it easy to spend less time and get the best possible results.

    For More please click here:
    german to english

    ReplyDelete
  21. Just look for yourself how quickly you can insure your own drone and how easy the completion of a drone insurance actually works! Browse now purely and get professional manner!
    For more Drone Insurance

    Schauen Sie einfach selbst, wie schnell Sie Ihre eigene Drohne versichern lassen können und wie einfach der Abschluss einer Drohnen Versicherung tatsächlich funktioniert! Klicken Sie sich jetzt rein und sichern Sie sich professionell ab!
    voor meer Drohnen Versicherung

    ReplyDelete
  22. I love good and healthy food. Particularly important to me is the low time expenditure and that my Rez epte cheap and delicious. Very very unique stylish and great look eye styleis,Nail, Nail palish etc so please click here.
    Food and Stylish beauty

    ReplyDelete
  23. Durham Martial Artist Helps Local Children Build Self-Confidence And Strong Character.Martial Arts is a tool used to build confidence, discipline, respect, appreciation, focus, and much more! This is exactly what Luc Trudell of InnerActive Martial Arts sets out to do in his daily life.
    Need this so click here
    Community ON BuzzFeed

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hallo, vielen Dank für deinen wertvollen Beitrag. Hoffe, Sie geben uns die gleiche wertvolle Stelle in der Zukunft. Ich habe eine andere gute Website gefunden. Sie können diese Website besuchen, um mehr zu erfahren.
    goldenslot
    GCLUB Casino
    Gclub
    GClub casino

    ReplyDelete

  25. amazing !!! good work. keep it up.
    find how to oil shredder from here.

    ReplyDelete
  26. IT Consultancy
    WELCOME TO ANIKA TECH SUPPORT
    Anika Tech Support managed by a team of professionals utilising a combined 20+ years of experience in IT support and Managed IT services Focusing on Proactive support, continuity, growth and development. We are a forward thinking IT Company who support public and private sector using the latest tech as a driving force for our client’s Success.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Making cooking a little easier. It's hard, it takes time and who's got the time after a long day of work, looking after kids and being on your feet all day ? I bet you don't and neither do I.. making cheap and tasty modern day meal kits the new normal among all the changes going on in our world today. meal kits

    ReplyDelete
  28. Al Nahr Company specializes in cleaning air conditioners at the lowest prices with cleaning and sterilization of homes, villas, homes, apartments, companies, hotels, restaurants, tanks, boards, carpets, carpets with insect control, pesticide workshops, termite control and Dafan spraying in Riyadh, all at prices that suit you and with trained workers as per the agreement
    شركة النهر خدمات عامة

    ReplyDelete
  29. My name is Fajar. I live in  Bedono in Central Java   I was in a very chronic financial issue and terminal health situation some few weeks back. After all my search for assistance from friends and neighbors proved abortive, I feel there was no one who truly cares. I became so exhausted due to lack of funds to expand my business and my 2 kids aged 5 and 8 were also not good looking due to lack of proper care as a result of finance. One faithful morning I saw an old time friend of my late husband and I told him all I have been going through and he said the only way he could help was to direct me to a good loan officer in USA that also helped him, He explained to me on how he was financially down and how he got boosted by this loan officer ( Mr Pedro   who grant him 7,000,000.00 USD loan at an affordable rate of 2% rate . He further assured me that they were the only legit loan firm he found online. He gave me their email &  That was how i applied and was also granted a loan and my life changed for the good. CONTACT THE ONLY GENUINE LENDER Mr Pedro VIA    Email:    pedroloanss@gmail.com  to resolve your financial mess.  

    ReplyDelete