Documentary “Blood and Oil” Summary
The documentary "Blood and Oil", directed by Jeremy Earp, shows how foreign policy and energy policy are closely intertwined by demonstrating growing dependence of the American economy on oil, resulting in America’s military engagements in the Middle East.
First, the documentary starts to illustrate how oil has become the most important energy resource in the American economy. Since 1860, the U.S has been the leading consumer of petroleum. Despite being a mere 5% of the world’s population, the U.S oil-based economy consumes 25% of the world’s petroleum. In fact, 98% of transportation energy comes from petroleum products. The entire agricultural industry is reliant on oil. This dependence on imported oil has been expected to increase drastically over the next 25 years. Accordingly, the U.S is expected to import 70% of its oil in 2025.
Secondly, the documentary further indicates that this energy and foreign policy were the products of FDR during WWII. Michael Klare argues that the control of the world’s energy resources has been foundational to the U.S foreign policy since WWII. The President of the U.S Franklin D. Roosevelt understood that oil was a decisive factor in America’s victory in WWII. He saw the U.S’ overwhelmed consumption of domestic reserves
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For example, the U.S military supports to escort the Kuwaiti oil tankers (1987) from Iran and Iraq’s invasion. Under the power of Saddam Hussein in Saudi Arabia’s oil fields, President George H.W. Bush decided to send the American troops to Saudi Arabia to protect Kuwaiti from the attack of Iraqis; however, his actual purpose is to protect the oil reserves from Hussein. The repudiation of the U.S promise results in Osama Bin Laden’s attack on US interests in the Middle East as well as the United States
The U.S. uses 25% to 30% of the oil produced in the world, yet has less than 3% of known oil reserves,” (Doc C Paragraph 3).This is important because if becoming self-sufficient is impossible than is drilling even worth
For the majority of history, in the United States, crude oil has been the primary source of fuel and energy. Whether it is burning the oil or using it for gas, the product has been used at an excess amount. Even with great success in the search for a new source of energy, America will always be dependent on oil. Upon this realization, the Keystone XL Pipeline was started in 2010. Advancing from southern Canada, through multiple depots in the United States, to its final completion in the southern United States, the pipeline was a lengthy project.
The petroleum market rose in 1859 after former rail director Edwin Drake successfully unearthed an oil well with his own oil drill. After this breakthrough, investors realized that oil sites made more financial sense than whaling voyages. Whaling was dangerous, time-consuming, and expensive—while often yielding no profit. But oil drilling was generally risk-free, would not cost anyone’s life, and was more likely to yield something profitable with the reliability of Drake’s oil drill. Consequently, many whaling ports lost their funding to oil sites, and kerosene replaced whale oil as America’s leading natural resource.
As Foster (2006) analyzed, on account that the transitional government were not entitled to sign any long term oil contracts, the US government had to strengthen its geopolitical influence in the region. Expectedly, the US’ privatization of the Iraqi oil enterprises after a year denotes the promulgation of neoliberal economic model in Iraq, which guarantees the US’ economic benefit acquired from the oil trade (Foster, 2006). Seeing that the war in Iraq and the privatization of Iraqi oil corporates occurred chronologically, one cannot help but wonder if the US plotted to disguise its bona fide, yet unscrupulous, conspiracy by waging its war on terrorism in the Middle East. As priorly mentioned, detailing the military to maneuver the other country for economic benefits is one of the perquisites to imperialist regime.
Turning the key placed into the car, the machine suddenly grumbles, gasoline pumping throughout the system. It is understandable that the power needed to move from point A to B is generally provided by oil, but have you ever considered the importance of this substance to our country? Oil, is used by almost, if not every American daily. In fact, it is something that we as a nation can not live without. How we get this oil is just as important, and brings up heated debates about the options of transportation, one of which being the Keystone XL pipeline.
In Robert Bryce’s article “The Dangerous Delusions of Energy Independence” he explains the depths of America’s delusional perception of energy independence and asserts his evident disapproval of the subject. He begins by mentioning past presidents and their verbal concerns of an upcoming energy crisis leading into the similar views held by America’s majority. The fact that energy independence will make America self-sufficient, create new jobs, keep U.S. soldiers out of the Persian Gulf, and result in a thriving economy has become a generally accepted attitude. Bryce claims that this attitude has escalated since the attacks of September 11th due to the numerous news stories proposing that “buying oil from the countries of the Persian Gulf
The energy crisis began after OPEC seized oil production because of the, “anger at the United States for aiding Israel.” (Farber, 22) This caused a mass panic amongst Americans and resulted in long waits to get gas and constant fuel outages. Carter was extremely adamant that Americans reduce their consumption of fuel in order to reduce the extent of the energy crisis, at one point suggesting putting heavy penalizing taxes on non-fuel efficient vehicles. Political journalist Nicholas Lemann recalled, “[The energy crisis was] the automotive equivalent to the Depression’s bank runs.”
Charles R. Morris uses logos throughout Comeback in order to convey that America has four key parts that fueled the oil boom alongside the American economy to grow faster and safer than ever before; however, many people feared a steady decline was coming. These fears were driven because of what happened throughout the 1980’s when America lost control of oil prices in 1979. Charles R. Morris writes “But there is now a very different and much more compelling growth narrative. It has four main elements: the energy bonanza; the resurgence of manufacturing; an infrastructure build; and a vibrant healthcare industry” (Morris 145-146). These four aspects of America’s growth contributed to the expansion of the oil industry despite the narrative of
The actions during the Suez crisis showed how the rhetoric of Eisenhower and Dulles pointed in the opposite direction the British and French expected. The U.S. saw the crisis as an opportunity to keep their word as a moral and unbiased nation. Unfortunately, the U.S. did not comprehend how Suez was supposed to be a problem of containment and not colonialism. Kissinger brought up the point on how Suez was merely an exercise for the U.S. to act as the leader of the free world. (Kissinger 544).
In order to be a strong nation, America needs to lead in the production of our own energy and make our country economically stable by exporting oil to other
Over the course of two world wars the U.S learned a bitter lesson. That “taking… shelter across the sea.” (Ronald). will not bring victory or security to the citizens that the government is sworn to protect. Reagan realizes this, but the idea of becoming the world's watcher for tyrannical governments and threats seems daunting too even the most powerful of countries.
The environment is suffering days after days, there will a point where the green house won’t take it anymore and the earth will meltdown. The oil refineries are the main contributors to this issue, since they are the ones who produce the
Obama was the favored democrat candidate, and eventually got elected for his second term for president. Obama’s viewed the way oil had been going as positive. He once stated that since he took over as president the US’s dependence on foreign oil had decreased by 50%, which, is a first time in more than 10 years. He also pointed out that on top of oil companies getting profit, they are still getting billions of extra dollars from taxes every year. Obama stated that he thinks some if not all of the money should be changed and to be put into research for better sources of energy and/or to be put into funding these sources.
This graph shown below shows the oils production in 2015-2019 the production oil is reduced and by 2035-2050 the oil produced barrel per year is reduced from 60 billion barrels years to 10 billion barrels be year in
The United States uses much more oil than the average country. From 1970 to 2002, the