Blood oil : tyrants, violence, and the rules that run the world / Leif Wenar.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wenar, Leif, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Petroleum industry and trade--Political aspects.

Petroleum industry and trade.

Natural resources--Political aspects.

Natural resources.

Economic policy.

Geopolitics.

Physical Description:

liii, 494 pages ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2016]

Summary:

"Natural resources like oil and minerals are the largest source of unaccountable power in the world. Petrocrats like Putin and the Saudis spend resource money on weapons and oppression; militants in Iraq and in the Congo spend resource money on radicalization and ammunition. Resource-fueled authoritarians and extremists present endless crises to the West-and the source of their resource power is ultimately ordinary consumers, doing their everyday shopping at the gas station and the mall. In this sweeping new book, one of today's leading political philosophers, Leif Wenar, goes behind the headlines in search of the hidden global rule that thwarts democracy and development-and that puts shoppers into business with some of today's most dangerous men. Wenar discovers a rule that once licensed the slave trade and apartheid and genocide, a rule whose abolition has marked some of humanity's greatest triumphs-yet a rule that still enflames tyranny and war and terrorism through today's multi-trillion dollar resource trade. Blood Oil shows how the West can now lead a peaceful revolution by ending its dependence on authoritarian oil, and by getting consumers out of business with the men of blood. The book describes practical strategies for upgrading world trade: for choosing new rules that will make us more secure at home, more trusted abroad, and better able to solve pressing global problems like climate change. Blood Oil shows citizens, consumers and leaders how we can act together today to create a more united human future." -- Publisher's website

Contents:

Part I. Them vs. Them

Chapter 1. Addicted to Money

Chapter 2. Power: What Big Men Want

Chapter 3. Coercion, Corruption...

Chapter 4. ...Then Maybe Blood

Part II. Them vs. Us vs. Us

Chapter 5. Might Makes Right

Chapter 6. Curses on Us: Petrocrats, Terrorists and Conflict

Chapter 7. How Might Makes Right

Chapter 8. Gripping Dirty Hands

Part III. The People's Rights

Chapter 9. Counter-Power

Chapter 10. The Determination of Peoples

Chapter 11. Popular Resource Sovereignty

Chapter 12. The State of the Law

Chapter 13. Popular Philosophy

Chapter 14. Our Corruption: Why Leaders Must Lie

Part IV. Clean Trade

Chapter 15. Principles for Action

Chapter 16. Clean Trade Policy I: Protecting Property

Chapter 17. Clean Trade Policy II: Supporting Accountability

Part V. All United

Chapter 18. The Future

Epilogue. The Philosophy of Unity.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0190262923

9780190262921

OCLC:

907446143