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INFORM-A^CTION

Issue Number 46 - October 2002

Petrotyranny

The Howard Government is currently in the process ofsoftening us up to pay a war tax. While the Prime Minister is not being seen to support this, his faithful minions are putting the idea forward in the media and getting a sense of how the community will respond. It may never go ahead but it is simply amazing that this could even be entertained as a possibility. Already billions of taxpayers' dollars are dedicated to the military but now they are canvassing a specific tax to pay for Australian involvement in a war that is morally unsustainable. A first strike against any country is lawless and must be resisted.

The orchestration of a war against Iraq by the Bush Administration and supported by Australia is generating much comment and it seems to be getting through that this is really a struggle for the control of oil resources. After Saudi Arabia, Iraq has the largest oil reserves in the world. The USA has access to Saudi Arabian oil but has lost control of Iraq. Getting Iraq back into the sphere of influence of the USA is essential to securing the long-term interests of the American oil industry in particular and the way of life that we in the West assume is our God-given right. The geo-theologian, Father Thomas Berry, has observed:

Our food, clothing, energy, transportation and plastics are more dependent on petroleum than any other resource. So too, our economic-political-military structures and functioning are largely determined by this resource. For these reasons, the study of petroleum in the life of our society is of overwhelming significance.

One author who has studied the impact of petroleum is John Bacher who has coined the word petrotyranny as the title of his book published in 2000. In his work, Bacher has exposed oil dictatorships around the world, on most continents. His work has opened wide the door on the evil role crude oil has come to play in the modern world, creating dictatorships, stirring up civil strife, orchestrating wars and shaping structures of inequality and exclusion. While this may not be a complete analysis in itself, it elucidates how wars and political struggles around the world are linked to the control of oil resources and the extent to which some will stoop to ensure their control. After all, oil is a wealth-generating commodity precisely because it is absolutely necessary for our modern world to function. To this extent, it is fraught with danger.

A pre-emptive strike on Iraq is another lens on the phenomenon of petrotyranny.

In the end, it all comes down to the question posed on an anti-war poster:

Should Brave Men and Women Die
So You Can Drive?

For some, the answer is a resounding 'yes'. As Christians we must articulate a resolute 'no'. We can resist this in many ways. First, we can oppose such a war and absolutely refuse to pay a war tax. However, this is only a first step. We can also sharpen our analysis and become more literate about oil/petroleum politics. Most importantly, we can participate in a cultural revolution that weans us away from dependence upon this non-renewable resource and join the ranks of those who are making lifestyle choices about the use of renewable energy sources - we can explore ways to do this both personally and institutionally. Again, Thomas Berry offers important insights on the absolute necessity for human beings to begin making this shift away from reliance on oil. In his book The Great Work (1999) he has a special chapter dedicated to the petroleum interval of human history. He claims with some authority that this period is fast coming to an end and that by mid-century some 80 percent of petroleum on the planet will be exhausted leaving us unable to support a way of life developed during the abundance of this resource.

In the effort to avoid facing this inevitability some will choose war and the further degradation of the environment that this will bring. The loss of rainforests, the pillage of oceans and the disturbance of pristine regions like the Arctic are, to these people, of no cost in comparison to the pursuit of oil.

Somehow, each of us who wish to break the yoke of petrotyranny in our world must take hold of the near edge of this big issue and, at some cost to ourselves, take the steps necessary to effect this transformation.

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		INFORM-A^CTION Issue Number 46 - October 2002 Petrotyranny The Howard Government is currently in the process ofsoftening us up to pay a war tax. While the Prime Minister is not being seen to support this, his faithful minions are putting the idea forward in the media and getting a sense of how the community will respond. It may never go ahead but it is simply amazing that this could even be entertained as a possibility. Already billions of taxpayers' dollars are dedicated to the military but now they are canvassing a specific tax to pay for Australian involvement in a war that is morally unsustainable. A first strike against any country is lawless and must be resisted. The orchestration of a war against Iraq by the Bush Administration and supported by Australia is generating much comment and it seems to be getting through that this is really a struggle for the control of oil resources. After Saudi Arabia, Iraq has the largest oil reserves in the world. The USA has access to Saudi Arabian oil but has lost control of Iraq. Getting Iraq back into the sphere of influence of the USA is essential to securing the long-term interests of the American oil industry in particular and the way of life that we in the West assume is our God-given right. The geo-theologian, Father Thomas Berry, has observed: Our food, clothing, energy, transportation and plastics are more dependent on petroleum than any other resource. So too, our economic-political-military structures and functioning are largely determined by this resource. For these reasons, the study of petroleum in the life of our society is of overwhelming significance. One author who has studied the impact of petroleum is John Bacher who has coined the word *petrotyranny* as the title of his book published in 2000. In his work, Bacher has exposed oil dictatorships around the world, on most continents. His work has opened wide the door on the evil role crude oil has come to play in the modern world, creating dictatorships, stirring up civil strife, orchestrating wars and shaping structures of inequality and exclusion. While this may not be a complete analysis in itself, it elucidates how wars and political struggles around the world are linked to the control of oil resources and the extent to which some will stoop to ensure their control. After all, oil is a wealth-generating commodity precisely because it is absolutely necessary for our modern world to function. To this extent, it is fraught with danger. A pre-emptive strike on Iraq is another lens on the phenomenon of petrotyranny. In the end, it all comes down to the question posed on an anti-war poster: Should Brave Men and Women Die So You Can Drive? For some, the answer is a resounding 'yes'. As Christians we must articulate a resolute 'no'. We can resist this in many ways. First, we can oppose such a war and absolutely refuse to pay a war tax. However, this is only a first step. We can also sharpen our analysis and become more literate about oil/petroleum politics. Most importantly, we can participate in a cultural revolution that weans us away from dependence upon this non-renewable resource and join the ranks of those who are making lifestyle choices about the use of renewable energy sources - we can explore ways to do this both personally and institutionally. Again, Thomas Berry offers important insights on the absolute necessity for human beings to begin making this shift away from reliance on oil. In his book The Great Work (1999) he has a special chapter dedicated to the petroleum interval of human history. He claims with some authority that this period is fast coming to an end and that by mid-century some 80 percent of petroleum on the planet will be exhausted leaving us unable to support a way of life developed during the abundance of this resource. In the effort to avoid facing this inevitability some will choose war and the further degradation of the environment that this will bring. The loss of rainforests, the pillage of oceans and the disturbance of pristine regions like the Arctic are, to these people, of no cost in comparison to the pursuit of oil. Somehow, each of us who wish to break the yoke of petrotyranny in our world must take hold of the near edge of this big issue and, at some cost to ourselves, take the steps necessary to effect this transformation. Next Newsletter Article Newsletter Index