Oil & World Politics
Description:
John Foster delivered two sparkling and up-to-date lectures in Hamilton, ON, on Monday, Sept. 30, in conjunction with the two book launches here of Oil & World Politics. The first launch was co-sponsored by us and the Peace Studies Program at McMaster University. The second (which we videotaped) took place at New Vision United Church, 24 Main West, Hamilton (50 minutes), sponsored by our Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War.
While many of us have a basic understanding of how the petroleum industry (oil and natural gas) has been connected to all the wars of the 21st century, John intimately connects the dots between the petroleum industry and geopolitics. For example, did you know that Canadian troops for several years were conducting counter-insurgency war in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, because Kandahar was bring touted as a hub in the US-backed TAPI natural gas pipeline (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India)? Were you aware that both Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein were planning to stop selling their oil in US dollars just months before their countries were attacked by a US-led alliance of western states in which both leaders were assassinated? Iran and Venezuela have recently undertook oil sales in other currencies than US dollars, as the US pressure on them is ratcheted up. Were you cognizant of the fact that the war on Syria was started just weeks after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad turned down a US, Turkish, and Qatari-sponsored proposal for a natural case pipeline that passed through Syria into Turkey on its way to Europe, in favour of an Iranian proposal for a natural gas pipeline that avoided Turkey altogether? Three main belligerents against Syria included the USA, Turkey, and Qatar, the last of which just admitted spending $3 billion dollars on the war on Syria in its first three years.
John Foster has spent his working life as an oil economist. He understands the underlying role played by oil and gas in international affairs. He identifies the hidden issues behind many of the conflicts in the world today. He explores military interventions (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria), tensions around international waterways (Persian Gulf, South China Sea), and use of sanctions or political interference related to petroleum trade (Iran, Russia, Venezuela). He illuminates the petroleum-related reasons for government actions usually camouflaged and rarely discussed publicly by Western politicians or media.
All of the above and more can be found in Foster’s book. Well worth the $27 price tag. You can order John’s book, Oil & World Politics from most bookstores and online from the publisher Lorimer and others.
Here is Lorimer’s webpage for the book:
http://www.lorimer.ca/adults/Book/3068/Oil-and-World-Politics.html.
The video(s) contain the lecture and the Q&A.