Maybe Bu$hCo Isn't Always Incompetent?

Antonio Juhasz dropped an Op-Ed in the Gray Lady yesterday (that I'll also link to via the International Herald Tribune so that perhaps when the Select feature of the NYT seals off you can still locate) that asks, "Whose Oil Is It, Anyway?" that I certainly recommend. Her book pictured to the left, available via Amazon, is surely one I'd love to read if time allows.

Here Op-Ed begins with,

TODAY more than three-quarters of the world’s oil is owned and controlled by governments. It wasn’t always this way.

Until about 35 years ago, the world’s oil was largely in the hands of seven corporations based in the United States and Europe. Those seven have since merged into four: ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and BP. They are among the world’s largest and most powerful financial empires. But ever since they lost their exclusive control of the oil to the governments, the companies have been trying to get it back.

She adds,

In March 2001, the National Energy Policy Development Group (better known as Vice President Dick Cheney’s energy task force), which included executives of America’s largest energy companies, recommended that the United States government support initiatives by Middle Eastern countries “to open up areas of their energy sectors to foreign investment.” One invasion and a great deal of political engineering by the Bush administration later, this is exactly what the proposed Iraq oil law would achieve. It does so to the benefit of the companies, but to the great detriment of Iraq’s economy, democracy and sovereignty.

My gracious if this might explain why the Prince of Darkness has resisted efforts to get access to records of his energy task force.

While I like cheap gas as much as the next fellow, I also know that I'd rather pay much more to have these thousands of Americans and Iraqis alive or whole. Plus, do you really think the Fueltasktic Four will pass the savings on to Joe and Jill Sixpack? Also, wasn't this Iraq adventure supposed to pay for itself? Maybe Chevron and ExxonMobil will be writing that check?

Finally, if we are really fighting "them" over there to keep from fighting "them" over here one must wonder if "they" might not want their oil back and decide to try to take it back. Stay tuned for another post on the CPA we sent into Iraq that really screwed things up after the "cakewalk" yet maybe that was part of the play? Peace ... or War!