Petro-authoritarianism
Posted : September 27, 2006 at 10:19 pm [America/Los_Angeles]
According to Bloomberg.com, in 2005 Iran earned $44.6 billion from crude oil exports, its main source of income. In the same year, the mullahs spent $25 billion on subsidies to buy off the population. Bring the price of oil down to $30 and guess what happens: All of Iran’s income goes to subsidies…But right now, Chávez, Ahmadinejad and all their petrolist pals think we are weak and will never bite the bullet. They have our number…Mr. Bush prattles on about spreading democracy and freedom, but history will actually remember the Bush years as the moment when petro-authoritarianism — not freedom and democracy — spread like a wildfire and he did nothing serious to stop it.
- Thomas L. Friedman, “Fill ’Er Up With Dictators”
Amen.
- Anand
Category: Our world |
1 Comment »
Hi Anand,
Its a surprisingly small world. You got me nostalgic when I saw a pic of yours and your mom infront of Hindmotor temple and then another of your mom in Mansion Grove. I live very close by and its been a pleasure knowing another person from the other side of my world enjoying life here in this part of my world
Posted by: Samir at September 30, 2006 @ 5:21 pm
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