Re: [A-List] Oil-Led Development

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Macdonald Stainsby wrote:
> Well, I am certain the people of Iraq and Angola, Nigeria and indigenous
> nations throughout Turtle Island definitely understand the "resource
> curse". But you have asked a question at the end which is really part of
> the problem. Oil, and the value of this hydro-carbon (with all it's
> "collateral production" in petroleum by-products such as computers), has a
> value that supercedes human labour. In energy terms, you would need to
> have 12 people working full time for you with neither wages nor other
> costs associated with their upkeep, to equal the energy of a single barrel
> of oil.

There is not a "resource curse" in Iraq, Angola and Nigeria--there is an 
imperialism curse. The Venezuelan use of oil is a model for 3rd world 
countries everywhere. If other countries could use their oil in the way 
that Chavez does, the cause of socialism would be considerable advanced.