Gas Prices (Part 1)
I've noticed that many members have mentioned greed and economic disparity in the world to be a source of war and violence.
This morning, the BBC World radio broadcast featured interviews with militants in Nigeria -- ranging from youths, angry because they were, as my mother would have said "dirt poor", with only the clothes on their backs and a bicycle. They watched the oil pumping, and knew that the oil producers were very wealthy, and none of that money ever reached the people, and this made them angry. At the other end of the spectrum of violence, in the Niger Delta, were actual militants who vow to halt oil export and production completely (presumably because, also, there is no trickle down benefit) All the profits go to the oil corporations and the government. The militant spokesman likened their position to Afghanistan -- the birthplace of our current problems with terrorism, and again promised to halt the flow of oil.
As far back as 1993 reports of what seems to be a genocide by the Nigerian government against the Ogani people, living in the Delta, exist. The Ogani people claim they were protesting for a cleaner environment (oil fires burn wild in the Delta) and some share in the vast oil profits of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria. THe government claimed they very killing invading soldiers from Cameroon. Human Rights Watch reported over a two year period, and, in effect, sided with the greatly impoverished people, who were suffering from environmental damage, also. Their land can no longer sustain crops, secondary to pollution from the production of oil. Soon, other tribal groups began to be targeted, as they, also, began to protest the policies of the oil companies and their worsening life conditions. As poverty increased, so did violence by the government against the people who were protesting.
Why, after so many years, can't the Nigerian government and owners of the oil wells see that the increasing economic disparity in the country is literally fuelling an explosive situation? When one portion of the populace lives in poverty, and eyes another portion with burgeoning wealth, there is a situation of increasing anger.
When one portion of the poeple cannot feed their children, or have clean water, cannot grow crops due to oil pollution, and another enjoy the fruits of wealth, there exists resentment and despair. Out of frustration, people, usually men, resort to violence. They see the fortunes being made by the oil companies, and become greedy for their share. They are then branded as militants, criminals, and the world turns against them for their violent, criminal actions, without considering the roots of those actions.
I am not condoning the actions of the militants. I do not condone violence of any kind. But it is important to see both sides of any issue. Rather than blame reduced oil exports to the U.S. only on oil diversion by militants, or the circumvention of oil production by the militants, it is important to address the reasons that there are militants in the first place. It is important to look at the women and children who suffer because of the oil companies' behavior in Nigeria.
Western figures who have been approached by the militant groups, by Nigerian groups seeking a peaceful intervention, have been ignored by the U.S. Just as long as some oil still flows, that is all that matters.
There was an old song written during the U.S. depression that contained the phrase: 'The rich get richer and the poor get poorer . . . In the meantime, in between time . . . ain't we got fun'. I don't think there is any fun for the women and children of Nigeria. All we have to complain about is higher prices at the pump.
Stromek
This morning, the BBC World radio broadcast featured interviews with militants in Nigeria -- ranging from youths, angry because they were, as my mother would have said "dirt poor", with only the clothes on their backs and a bicycle. They watched the oil pumping, and knew that the oil producers were very wealthy, and none of that money ever reached the people, and this made them angry. At the other end of the spectrum of violence, in the Niger Delta, were actual militants who vow to halt oil export and production completely (presumably because, also, there is no trickle down benefit) All the profits go to the oil corporations and the government. The militant spokesman likened their position to Afghanistan -- the birthplace of our current problems with terrorism, and again promised to halt the flow of oil.
As far back as 1993 reports of what seems to be a genocide by the Nigerian government against the Ogani people, living in the Delta, exist. The Ogani people claim they were protesting for a cleaner environment (oil fires burn wild in the Delta) and some share in the vast oil profits of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria. THe government claimed they very killing invading soldiers from Cameroon. Human Rights Watch reported over a two year period, and, in effect, sided with the greatly impoverished people, who were suffering from environmental damage, also. Their land can no longer sustain crops, secondary to pollution from the production of oil. Soon, other tribal groups began to be targeted, as they, also, began to protest the policies of the oil companies and their worsening life conditions. As poverty increased, so did violence by the government against the people who were protesting.
Why, after so many years, can't the Nigerian government and owners of the oil wells see that the increasing economic disparity in the country is literally fuelling an explosive situation? When one portion of the populace lives in poverty, and eyes another portion with burgeoning wealth, there is a situation of increasing anger.
When one portion of the poeple cannot feed their children, or have clean water, cannot grow crops due to oil pollution, and another enjoy the fruits of wealth, there exists resentment and despair. Out of frustration, people, usually men, resort to violence. They see the fortunes being made by the oil companies, and become greedy for their share. They are then branded as militants, criminals, and the world turns against them for their violent, criminal actions, without considering the roots of those actions.
I am not condoning the actions of the militants. I do not condone violence of any kind. But it is important to see both sides of any issue. Rather than blame reduced oil exports to the U.S. only on oil diversion by militants, or the circumvention of oil production by the militants, it is important to address the reasons that there are militants in the first place. It is important to look at the women and children who suffer because of the oil companies' behavior in Nigeria.
Western figures who have been approached by the militant groups, by Nigerian groups seeking a peaceful intervention, have been ignored by the U.S. Just as long as some oil still flows, that is all that matters.
There was an old song written during the U.S. depression that contained the phrase: 'The rich get richer and the poor get poorer . . . In the meantime, in between time . . . ain't we got fun'. I don't think there is any fun for the women and children of Nigeria. All we have to complain about is higher prices at the pump.
Stromek
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