Chapter Commentary: Crude World

Crude World 4

This chapter goes over contamination of the lands surrounding oil compounds. Some of this I already knew, however there was so much more.  Though there are spills, they are inadequately dealt with. Toxic waste is put into sandbags and left. Maass makes a point, when asked what would happen if a large toxic spill happened  in America, the the wastes would be cleaned up immediately. Moncayo, Maass' toxic guide, said that their waste spills had been there for 17 years.

Steve Dozinger was the first person to almost scornfully, if not completely so, sued an oil company for their waste. One of the main points to his success is that the put the oil company on trial in his country rather than America. He was able to bring the judge to the sites of waste and get clear evidence of the neglect. The only hiccup was that the soil of the waste was not tested for age. Texaco (the company being charged) then put out the statement that the waste  belonged to a different company rather than their own. This could not be proven or debunked due to the fact that the soil was not tested for age.

Crude World 3

Chapter 3 discusses the issues on the Niger Delta on who owns the oil. Is it the company who taps into it or is it the people, the land, on which the oil is tapped from.  Oil is everywhere, oil is black gold, and yet places such as the Niger Delta are poor, almost inhospitable, and corrupt.  Rebellion is everywhere. Isaac Boro, and army officer born in the delta, lead a breakaway republic revolt but was quickly crushed by the oil company Shell.  Rebellions are being formed left, right, and center however they are not successful and only cause more rebellion and discord. Even leaders feel the strain. Warlord Asari struggles under the oil regimes. Little things such as voice recorder are difficult to acquire, or he needs them at inopportune times.

The land is at risk as well. Excess oil is burned off instead of being injected back into the land. To inject it is expensive, to burn it is, money wise, the least. However, this is extremely hazardous to the land and the atmosphere. It attributes to green house gasses and makes areas difficult to live in. Shell creates "towns" to make the areas look hospitable and happy, however these are merely a facade. They are empty buildings with out proper supplies or people to use them.

This chapter is about the corruption and the cover of many ill deeds by oil.

Crude World 6

Chapter 6 goes into the greed and corruption of the oil industries. Maass mentions that if oil came from countries such as Norway or Canada, countries that are resilient to bribery, there would be fewer under-the-table offers and shady deeds.  Corners are cut and deals are made with "dubious" countries that are rich in oil.n According to Maass, shareholders are essentially soulless. A rather bold statement.

Men and women in the industry who want to do acts of altruism are frowned upon and dealt with. Whether by firing them, or by giving them an extended "vacation" from work.  Though they make contracts to improve or sustain quality life in wherever they are working, this is hardly kept up. Newspapers and other media state that the energy today is needed for tomorrow.  It seems, to me, that people are forgetting that these are businesses, not charities. Yes, people should behave humanely, but they should not be expected to give handouts just because they are asked. Many businesses would be out of the job faster than a snap if they did that. Businesses struggle to stay both green and make profit. Some of my heart goes out to Lord Browne. I agree I think he did want a cleaner BP, however it can be very very difficult. And how he was treated by his former lover, Chevalier was atrocious.

The chapter made me a bit angry and irritated. It seemed that it was looking at how companies are being greedy and unclean, when in reality they are a business and clean is difficult when making money.

Crude World Chapter 2

In this chapter Maass goes into the life of dictator Obiang of the Equatorial Guinea. It goes into the murderous life and dealings of not only his family, but of the country that he took over. Fromassassination attempts of his own life to him supposedly killing and eating the testicles and brain of a Police Commissioner, Obiang is described as a monster, murderer, money hoarder, and many other negative terms.

The chapter also goes into the malnourished and improperly housed people. While Obiang builds and builds his mansions and oil rigs he imports everything including the workers. No one aside from a few in Equatorial Guinea is employed in these jobs and all the supplies are imported even though the supplies may be available to him in his own country.

Finally, the chapter discusses Obiang's trial of money laundering with Rigg. Many did not want to talk against him in the trial due to the high possibility that they got their money from him. It is all very dark and very negative. It is a fearsome chapter of deceit, blood, and grand theft.

Chapter  1

This chapter talks about peak oil. A rather frightening concept. How much oil do we really have left. The oil companies won't tell anyone. If they do talk about it they hide behind the guise of "we have plenty. It will last us long enough." However, this is not truthful nor is it lying. There is no way to accurately tell how much oil there is left. Scientists make educated guesses but that is all that they are. Guesses.  There is concern as to what would happen if peak oil (the point in which no more oil can be refined) came to pass today. Maass, to be blunt, believes that the world would crumble. I don't think it would, but there would be a period of create chaos and danger if people don't make the right decisions. 

Chapter 5

In this chapter Maass goes into the psyche of the corporate hierarchy. By first using StanleyMilgram's psychological experiment he shows people want to please others and do what is best even if it means electrocuting someone to death (as stated in Milgram's experiment). He poses the thought that corporate hierarchy can be both a leader and led. Some go into the business wanting the riches that oil brings while others go into it believing that they are doing good for the world by providing a very essential material.

I agree with this. I do not believe that everyone enters this business to be a corporate cut throat however that doesn't mean that they can be led astray and/or be corrupted by its riches.

Post 1: An introduction to a darker world.

The introduction to 'Crude World' (CW) and 'Fast Food Nation' (FFN) seemed emotionally confusing. In FFN, Schlosser appeared that, though he still enjoyed fast food and recoginzed it as a very American part of American culture, it has turned what was once a healthy (both economically and in human health) nation into obese entrepreneurs that kill family owned businesses. Maass' view about oil was emotionally confusing because his interest in oil's affect on society both socially and economically stems from his experiences living in the middle of the Iraqi war. Maass seems both immersed in the struggle for oil as we looks at it from an outsider's view. I mean this in that he isn't sure what to make of the struggle himself. He sees the good it brings to the economies but also the hardships. I question Schosser's statistics that he brings in the begining of his introduction. One in particular, which is quoted on the book's cover, "This year, Americans will spend more money on fast food than on higher education". I automatically question this statement's validity. Americans of all ages (save for perhaps those 0- and 1-year-olds running around) can eat fast food, but not all Americans can go to college. The Americans who do go to college rarely ever have 20,000 dollars to spend up front for tuition. Scholarships and grants pay for some, but mostly student loans are taken out and payed off in the future in monthly intervals. The point is, everyone eats but not everyone goes to school. Maass I do not have as much of a problem with yet, however his introduction was not as long and more tied emotionally and through his personal mermoirs than statistics. 

I am eager to read the chapters to come and learn more about what they learn and watch their emotions and opinions of the subject mater change. To my readers, welcome to a globe of crude foods.