I’ve been reading the book my brothers girlfriend Joanna gave me. “När kapitalet tar till vapen, Om Imperialism i vår tid” by Andreas Malm. Andreas digs deep into the heart of capitalism and imperialism of our time and values if you can call the United States politics and actions as imperialism. It’s very interesting, in the section I’m in now, he talks about USA and oil, the dollar and China. One part, let me try to translate a few bits and cuts from it (it’s in Swedish):
If the worlds oil would be bought and sold in euro, it would be a huge blow on the dollars dominance. The demand for euro would increase violently and EU’s currency would push USA out from the biggest of trade markets. The safest way for USA to hit back on this challenge is, according to indian economics, to occupy the countries where the oil is. Only through direct rule, USA can guarantee that the oil will continue to be bought and sold in dollars.
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EU is a “potentially stronger economic power than the USA” and have with it’s huge power construction made the americans worried. In the Gulf War in 1991, USA pushed off, especially Japans thoughts of a new geo political power hold after the cold war, and todays american war in the Middle East speaks especially to the EU: don’t even think about building your own military force! Look how superior we are, don’t even think about it!
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Let me say these are not Andreas Malms own theories but the theories of Ellen Meiksins Wood and the following parts of David Harvey, an academic marxist and geograf.
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“There is only one economical super power – both politically and military – completely outside of USA’s control. It’s China. It’s also the country with the most superior production potential. China is the threat. China is the rival. How would you overcome or ower power China?
Harvey’s answer: through the occupation of the Middle East’s oil sources.
The chinese mega industry is just like the american – but only more – dependent on the oil flow from the Middle East. There is the tap to Chinas economy. If the United States puts their hands on it, they can regulate the rate of the chinese economical development. If China would stand up against USA’s interests, they only need to tighten and stop the oil flow; the american industry has the monopoly of the top most important raw material. As long as they do, they will stand over all other capitals and nations.
The occupation of Iraq, Harvey argues, is part of a bigger american project to beat all of USA’s competition in general and specifically China. It has long going political consequences:
If the american regime overthrows both Chavés and Saddam, if they stabilize and reform the saudi regime which, armed to the teeth, is based on the authoritarian governments unsafe sands (…), if USA goes on (which it most likely will try) from Iraq to Iran and consolidate a strategic military presence over the central asian republicans, so that they can dominate the Caspian oil wells, then they just might, through iron hold of the global oil tap, hope to regain control over the global economy during the next 50 years.
The all greater military presence from Balkan to the Persian gulf and through Central Asia also means to fend off the worst thinkable: an alliance between the EU and Asia. On the pillars of military bases and occupations a patrolling bridge is built right through the land mass that would unite these two continents in an “Euro-Asian power block”.
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Well, it’s interesting reading! Puuh.. If you want to read it, sorry to say I don’t know what the book is named in English. You could search for Andreas Malm? 