Friday 11 July 2008

Gordon Brown admits it is all about (Nigerian) oil

As it was in Iraq, so let it be in Nigeria. Gordon Brown has basically admitted that the prime consideration for intervention - whether it be military invasion or military 'aid' - is securing oil supply:
The Prime Minister said: "We stand ready to give help to the Nigerians to deal with lawlessness that exists in this area and to achieve the levels of production that Nigeria is capable of, but because of the law and order problems has not been able to achieve." His comments came ahead of a visit to London by the Nigerian President, Umaru Yar'Adua, next week in which he is expected to appeal for military aid to put down militant groups who have attacked oil pipelines and platforms. (1)
Never mind the quality of life or human potential that the long suffering people of Nigeria have "not been able to achieve." Who cares about them? They don't vote in our elections. They're too poor to buy our consumer goods - which aren't actually ours at all, but China's, but don't let reality get in the way, never let reality get in the way.

In fact, they are a nuisance. Some of them are blowing up pipelines and making it difficult for us to get the oil we need to keep our economy lumbering along. So maybe we shoul care about them. They're a problem. I know, lets give some of them guns and stuff to kill the others with.

Oil, you see, that's worth worrying about, particularly right now. If intervening in Nigeria (i.e. selling the government arms to continue the civil war with renewed ferocity) can improve supply, bring down prices in the west, keep oil addicted western capitalist system grinding along a little bit longer, and fend off (temporarily) or mitigate the threatening depression - then it might be worthwhile. Oh, yes. Priorities.

The misery inflicted on the people of Nigeria by the persistent lawlessness and violence doesn't figure. But maximising oil supply - when an unpopular Prime Minister is keen to convince the British voters to like him again - is. Which explains a lot, I suppose.

Ruthless, mercenary, hypocrititical scum.
1 - 'Brown blunders in pledge to secure Nigeria oil,' by Daniel Howden, Kim Sengupta, Colin Brown and Claire Soares in The Independent, 11th of July, 2008. (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/brown-blunders-in-pledge-to-secure-nigeria-oil-865035.html)

No comments:

Unsurprising

 From the Guardian : The  Observer  understands that as well as backing away from its £28bn a year commitment on green investment (while sti...