Doing the Deal in Iraq

Joshua Holland has a nice article in Alternet, The Great Iraq Oil Grab.

For those who don't understand how multi-national corporations in the resource, engineering, construction, and finance businesses work their magic in resource rich countries, the article presents a great primer in how things get done.

The so called development of Iraq fits what is by now a classic model for exploiting a resource rich country to the maximum. One suspects the Iraqi people will not benefit from Iraq's wealth after one looks at the history of how these deals have been made in other countries around the world and who has ultimately benefited. Highly lucrative deals for multi-national corporations have already been cut with the Iraqi government. The multi-national corporations who come into poor countries to develop the resources of the country receive the major benefits.

We regrettably have had to fight an expensive and bloody war in Iraq to pave the way to riches for the powerful few. Don't you just hate it when that happens?

I'm not saying blood for oil. Nobody wants to fight when they can plunder at will without violence, or at least on a small or invisible scale. Sometimes it just doesn't work out that way.