Linda McQuaig discusses oil

  Lionel Wagner


  Oil companies purposely did not try developing oil in Iraq in the fifties to ensure prices would not drop. The first major blow to the dominance was the rise of Muhmar Qaddafi who squeezed the independents for more money per barrel for the population and the Middle East nations asserted themselves. these nations met to discuss about how to best to end  American oil influence and dominance in their respective nations. That a few third world undeveloped regions would form OPEC and thus bring an end to the global dominance of the seven sister oil companies from America shocked Western governments. Linda McQuaig wrote a book called "Its The Crude Dude" and she blames the government and its failures of weaning the public away from the automobile when OPECs first embargo put a panic  in the public's mind. Oil is the lifeblood of the global economy and in the book Linda informs many of the geo-political problems the world has faced through the past few decades are all oil related and the inequalities that an increasing informed Middle East region have realized they have been short changed. The demand of American control of other countries oil reserves is a critical component to international instability. Even Canada is not immune to supplying and selling only to America due to a clause in NAFTA. Oil is the only commodity of third world producers that have been able to organize and Linda goes on with a chapter of how  and Hugo Chavez were ale to revive OPEC and helped raise prices dramatically. She talks about the subsidies given to this industry that continues to feel shortages leading to occupations and war as other cleaner and viable technologies are thwarted by this powerful industry. The public is left to thinking that cars and oil burning are the only reliable transportation method as trains and other high speed options are ignored by a car obsessed government.  The playing level is set by old time baby boomers who grew up on car technology and ignore the consequences of relying on fossil fuels.

The arrogance of people in the West and America in particular is troubling as Linda explains we are responsible for twenty five percent of the greenhouse gases and have a thinking mentality that if we were to limit this through needed government action that this would be trampling on our rights. This of course ignores the rights of people in other lands and voices available to them.

  McQuaig saves her best for an in depth analysis of the rise of the SUV and how these ugly bulky cars became the new sexy vehicle. The advertising campaigns on a television zombie obsessed culture works despite the fact that driving a SUV is much unsafe and a threat to the passenger. The emissions of these large vehicles have greatly contributed to the problem of global warming and the n sanity of the American and Canadian governments to encourage and subsidize their use is a mockery of civilization. The absurdity of North American leaders to even allow these vehicles to be mass produced given all the sciences and research of toxicity of car emissions is an issue that brings the seriousness of the situation to light. Greater  fuel efficiency  just lead to the absurdity to create heavier vehicles to clog up our streets thanks to governmental encouragement of this freedom Americans demand. India McQuaig brings everything in light in this book from wars, subsidies, global climate, and other dangers are continue dependency on the burning of fossil fuels brings to the stupidity of mankind's treatment of our only habitat.