Arab Oil States, Golden Thrones and Disproportionate Distribution of Wealth

     North Africa is shaking and rattling in the  throes of revolution.   In the last few weeks,   Egypt's  Hosni Mubarak was forced out with his vanishing billions.    Yemen is  in trouble, and  the disease of economic disparity and discontent is spreading rapidly. 
     The latest and most serious?   Libya.  Moammar Gadhafi,  the seemingly demented and murderous leader of Libya, has been  hanging onto power tooth and nail by hiring deadly mercenaries and arming civilians loyal to him.   The global community has ordered economic sanctions against Libya as  it becomes more apparent that thousands of people may have been murdered in his bid to keep power at any cost.  It is evident  Gadhafi is neither  considered  to be a "generous  humanitarian"  or  'concerned' about his people one whit.
     On the other hand, the Sultan of Oman,  Sultan Quaboos, who has sat on his  golden throne  for over 40years in an absolute dictatorship, is apparently more of a gentleman and highly regarded.  What do these two  men have in common? They are both facing  major revolts mounted against them. Why?
      The sad fact is,  the common root factor happens to be that they are dictators  hoarding absolute power,  and wealth that belongs rightfully to the people of their respective countries. There seems to be  a newly discovered awareness of  "disproportionate distribution of wealth" , to say the least.
Why is that not a surprise?  The rot of extreme and obscene greed has finally precipitated  the questioning of the ultimate form of self-defeating  capitalism, the "king", absolute ruler,  greedy dictator, and  rich despot. 

     The Sultan of Oman, being an astute man,  saw the writing on the wall as revolts took place in Egypt and Libya;  he quickly ordered the creation of 50,000 jobs for the starving and unemployed.   Each of those jobs will supposedly pay benefits of about $390.00 per month. To a man that has a starving family, it must seem a fortune.

     Nice, but does it not still  remain a disproportionate distribution of wealth? Are these people totally foolish?  No.   Do the poor have calculators and the internet?  Certainly some must do.   Shall  we shake our heads in awe  as we confirm their calculations?

$390.00 per month x50,000  = $19,500,000 U.S.D.  per MONTH.  Nineteen and one-half million dollars. That sounds like a big bribe, and a lot of money.  WOW, that's $19.5M x12 = $234 Million  U.S.D. per year --mere peanuts  for  a desperate  last-minute  "job creation"  solution  to prevent revolution. 
 That "peace offering" and job creation  "strategy" ought to quell the rebellion and keep the  starving peasants happy?    Should it really, Sultan Quaboos?  No disrespect, but think again. Is it realistic?  No. 

The fact is,  normally Sultan Quaboos  and his Omani helpers   sell off 850,000  barrels of crude oil daily,  at a heady payment of  $120.00 per barrel, using the "latest" cost  figures.

  Let us tickle those those calculator buttons one more time:     850,000 barrels x $120.00 U.S.D. ( per bbl )  = $102,000,000   --per DAY.
 ONE HUNDRED AND TWO  MILLION  dollars each day?   UNbelievably, it will take only TWO days of oil production to pay for the  cost of the entire ANNUAL  BRIBE, a.k.a  "job creation"...a.k.a. desperate move to retain the Sultan's throne.... 

  Where is the REST of  money going, other than into the Sultan's  treasury?

Who is kidding who?  Oman has been considered the "peaceful kingdom" but it is not surprising the people of Oman are angry.  At least SOME of them have calculators.  The fact is, oil wealth and other resources  belong to the citizens of that country.   Resources are no longer the exclusive property of  the rich and powerful, or of foreign interests.
Is there a lesson to be learned here?  I think so.

---------
Meantime, back in my neck of the woods in Canada during this same crisis,  we are paying $1.30/litre for gasoline,  the price of which has not even  yet peaked. That horrendous price translates to almost $6.00 USD per imperial gallon (4.56 liters) --- which is nothing but gouging and shameful for an oil-producing nation. 

At the same time, Canada  (a.k.a. Big Oil )  exports 1.3M barrels of  dirty crude oil to the USA  every day.  Let's calculate THAT while we are at it:  1,300,000 x120 =  $156,000,000 dollars per DAY.   That is One-Hundred and fifty-six MILLION dollars each DAY.   
We seriously must question  who has the keys to the  golden vault THAT huge pile of loot is being hauled to.  It sure isn't in MY back yard.   It is not in pollution control.  It is not in infrastructure, or in tax reduction. Where is it? 

The fact IS,  in times of international crises,  Canadians should be at least partially shielded by  Canadian production.  Are we, at some time in the future,  to inherit ONLY the stripped,  contaminated land,  water, mutant fish, societal cancers,  and dead soil left from the dirty oil extraction from the  Athabasca tar sands? 

In fact, there is no excuse for gouging at the gasoline pump.   Gasoline at $1.30 a liter  is made with the same process and equipment that gasoline was made with 40 years ago, back  when gasoline was 0.30 per  GALLON .    Nobody has to work too hard to figure out that was about 6-1/2 cents a liter.
It seems to me there's something seriously wrong with OUR  OWN systems of golden thrones and disproportionate distribution of wealth,  never mind those  of madman Gadhafi or gentlemanly Sultan Quaboos.

##

Egyptian President "Steps Down" : Are Words Enough?

 Is the revolution in Egypt formally  bearing fruit?  Is the light returning to Egypt, the heart of the Arab world? Are words enough?  Are  "stepping aside" or "stepping down"  merely words to placate the Egyptian people? 
" I will pursue the transfer of power in a way that will fulfill the people's demands and that this new government will fulfill the people's demands and their hopes for political, economic and social progress...."   (1)  Such were the (translated)  words of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak  on February 1st, 2011  at 16:17 ET  as he announced he would be "stepping down".

Does "stepping down" and "transferring power" really equate  the demands of the people of Egypt?  Is Mubarak giving up power, or has he hauled out some very ancient smoke and mirrors,  the way of the deceiver? 
  At Incoming BYTES,  every reader is aware that in Canada, the United States, or any other democracy,  "shuffling the cabinet" means little and is usually a political maneuver designed to deceive. Musical chairs, but far more formal and expensive to play, usually resulting in little if any real change.
I believe  that if Mr. Mubarak transfers the power to anyone associated with the old regime, a major deception is already in progress.   Who has designed the "new regime"?  In the same speech, he stated 

"I will work very hard to carry out all the necessary measures to transfer power to the "authorized legitimate."     and  
" I ask of the parliament to commit to -- to speed up the elections." (1)
 Who are the "authorized legitimate" in the opinion of Hosni Mubarak?   Someone authorized by Mr. Mubarak and his inner circle? 
How about:
"Commit to--to speed up " the elections? 
 Worrisome words.  Not necessarily to HOLD elections, just to "speed them up".   
The pointed question "When?" comes to mind.
In the  favourite phrase of  a good friend of mine,  "We shall see what we shall see" 
..... I  know he  keeps HIS word,   but will Mr. Mubarak?  

The world will be watching. 


(1) Quotation courtesy of : Politics Daily, Transcript of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's Remarks,   CQ  Transcriptions (c)2011 Congressional Quarterly Inc.

Egyptian Revolution: A Sign That Democracy is Not Dead

                                     Brilliant 1                                         Photo r.a. kukkee

     Being a relatively peaceful individual and living in relatively peaceful Canada,   I do not like to hear of chaos,  violence,  shootings,  or society on the rampage and out of control anywhere,   but in this ever-changing world,  once again it is happening.  The quiet, dusty world of sleeping mummies and  the Great Pyramids  is being  rudely awakened by violent uprising.
      For several days now there have been massive demonstrations in Egypt. A veritable revolution is being held with  chanting crowds on the rampage, looting, arson and shootings.  Troops are using rubber bullets  and tear gas on demonstrators.  Blood is being spilled.  Thousands of inmates have escaped jails, including Muslim militants.  Police have reportedly disappeared from the streets.
      Deaths and more major confrontations  will most likely continue  in Cairo and other major centers.   Demonstrators will continue to demand the removal of Mubarak's authoritarian dictatorship until that change has been achieved.  Egyptians are voicing angry dissent and unhappiness with the corrupt status quo with much vigour.
   
     Mubarak's reign is supported by the  United States, and Hosni  has   ruled Egypt with an iron fist for over 30 years.  In response to the contemporary  revolution,  he has ordered troops and tanks into the streets to shoot at demonstrators.    
     A 6:00 pm curfew has been established;  citizens are no longer free to stroll  amicably in the streets of  Cairo, shop in the markets,  conduct any assembly of persons,  or wander down the street to visit with momma, poppa  and grandchildren.  
     In an almost unheard of move, the Internet has been shut down, and armed  F16 fighter jets are  flying over downtown Cairo to instill  fear in the population.
Why?
     I wonder what Mr.  Hosni Mubarak  is  so deathly afraid of? Shoppers?  Visiting children?  Political reform?   
No. 
      He is afraid of losing power and control,  but more  likely,  he is afraid of losing  his collected fortunes, his treasures, and any access to his spoiled,  premium, obscenely rich and luxurious lifestyle. 
    Most civilized people know  that power corrupts just surely as wealth is concentrated by greed.  We must conclude  it unlikely Mr. Mubarak  is any different from any other control freak or  greedy opportunist that has held power for a very long term.  In the face of poverty, unemployment and anger in the general populace, he  doesn't want to give it up. 
     The fact is,  as history teaches repetitively,  change must be made willingly, or it will eventually be established by  demonstration, force, or civil war. 
     Should peace-loving  people instead  resign to their fate of oppression and poverty silently?   Is the revolution merely another example  of collective human insanity unleashed,  or is it a genuine sign  that  democracy is not dead?
How is the reader to interpret what is happening?  I think the inevitable  must prevail.  Nothing remains the same. Change is inevitable.   Change WILL happen simply because democracy is not dead.  

Transition to democracy will occur, one way or the other if only for the fact that Mubarak, unless he is totally brain-dead,  must recognize that his  vicious,  iron-fisted response to the demonstrations,  and his subsequent misuse of the military,  abuse of  authority and  suppression of expression of speech  are the  most blatant  condemnations of the rule he has practiced. 
Perhaps  he does not recognize the fact that truth always comes out regardless of how well hidden it may be.  Perhaps he is vicious enough to be certain of  his power and will continue to tighten the grip on Egyptian society for a while, but in doing so  he is  merely offering more proof  that his reign  is  decadent and requires termination.

In  the aggregate opinion of  democratic peoples world wide,  the principle of stifling free speech is unacceptable.   The inexcusable action of  using national troops and armaments viciously  against the citizens of their own country is criminal.
 In spite of the shut-down internet, EGYPT is as visible as any 3D picture of your dusty old  Pyramids.   The world is watching,  so at the very minimum,  surrender your corrupt regime with a modicum of dignity,  Mr. Mubarak.
In the eyes of the world, Egypt is not much different than any other aspiring nation;  so let the people speak, -or  carefully stand aside, for change IS inevitable, and soon.