Chevron and Iraq Oil-for-Food Program
Qu'elle surprise
Chevron Oil Company now says that it just should have known that Saddam Hussein was getting some kickbacks from the gas it was buying from Iraq under the UN's "Oil-for-Food" program. Let us count the ways that this is not surprising.
1) The UN is even more corrupt and not even elected than huge nation-states which are also rent-seeking corrupt rational economic actors but at least they are elected (for the most part but who is really sure ?)
2) The international oil business is big-business, if not the biggest after arms. Why is it surprising that they play the international game as it is laid out? In Kazakhstan the bid goes to the Chinese who come in with suitcases of cash.
3) Sanctions (and then silly UN programs to make-up for them) dont work. They only hurt the people in a country, not the leaders of that country. This is just another obvious example.
Just let the people alone, give the UN and politicians a little sandbox to play in and laissez-faire. Adios.
Chevron Oil Company now says that it just should have known that Saddam Hussein was getting some kickbacks from the gas it was buying from Iraq under the UN's "Oil-for-Food" program. Let us count the ways that this is not surprising.
1) The UN is even more corrupt and not even elected than huge nation-states which are also rent-seeking corrupt rational economic actors but at least they are elected (for the most part but who is really sure ?)
2) The international oil business is big-business, if not the biggest after arms. Why is it surprising that they play the international game as it is laid out? In Kazakhstan the bid goes to the Chinese who come in with suitcases of cash.
3) Sanctions (and then silly UN programs to make-up for them) dont work. They only hurt the people in a country, not the leaders of that country. This is just another obvious example.
Just let the people alone, give the UN and politicians a little sandbox to play in and laissez-faire. Adios.
posted by Cameron Weber at 10:20 AM
